Escape from Rikers Island
by Andorian Ice Princess-AIP
Summary: A deadly storm; an isolated prison; a killer out for revenge & two people desperate to survive. It's a race against time and nature for trapped Mac & Stella while a desperate Flack & Jessica try to get them help before it's too late. SMACKED
1. Precursor to Disaster

**Title: Escape from Rikers Island  
****Chapter 1 - Precursor to Disaster**

**Summary:** A deadly storm; an isolated prison; a killer out for revenge & two people desperate to survive. It's a race against time and nature for trapped Mac & Stella while a desperate Flack & Jessica try to get them help before it's too late. SMACKED action/peril

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mac Taylor but I wish I did (course then I'd get nothing done! Grin) This is a piece of fan fiction. It is written for pleasure and not for profit. The characters of CSI New York and any other regular cast and supporting cast members all belong to CBS, Paramount & Jerry Bruckheimer and Anthony Zuiker. All other characters are my own. Any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental.

**A/N:** Okay so I was going to wait until my two other stories were finished before posting any new multi-chapter fics but I just couldn't quiet the muse when this idea popped into mind! So when we finished reading 'Shutter Island' (awesome book!) it sort of inspired this idea. And no it's not the same as the book/movie but just an idea that kinda stemmed from it with a few similarities. Not sure how long this story will be chapter-wise and Jessica will be alive. So I am posting this for you all to see if you even like it.  
**_Special thanks to Stardust585 for the 'talk', hope you like it!_**

* * *

"Damn it Don! I can't get a hold of Mac," CSI Stella Bonasera's frantic voice lightly pants over her two-way as she races for another way in; Detective Don Flack on the other end; each of them at opposite ends of the rundown building, their partner and fellow CSI still missing inside.

It had started with the knowledge that Felix Reite, their main suspect in the grisly killings of at least half dozen young men was spotted trying to buy a fake passport on the street and then made a dash for it; Mac on his tail. Stella had heard from her partner last when he had radioed for help, telling her in a frantic tone that Felix had gotten the backup piece that Sinclair had told him to take just in case and that he was last seen heading into Ocean Bridge Works; a building now abandoned.

_'Felix Reite was spotted heading into Ocean BridgeI'm right here. I'm going in and...'_

_'Mac you need to wait for backup, this guy...'_

_'Stella, I'm right here and I'm not going to lose him.'_

_'Mac wait! Sinclair said...'_

_'No time. Stella, call for backup!'_

_'Damn it!'_

The time it took her and Flack to reach Mac's location felt like a tormented eternity, her mind racing with the grisly images of what Felix was capable of; if Mac made a mistake or allowed his guard to drop for even a second. By the time they reached the site, her heart rate was near critical, her mind racing with agony at Mac's silence; still not returning her frantic calls.

"Don it's almost dark."

"We'll get him Stella."

"Why the hell didn't he just wait?"

"You expect me to answer?" Flack counters in sarcasm.

"No but what if Mac is..."

"Mac said there was only one shot so far and..." Flack huffs in return as he slows to a stop just before a doorway on the opposite side of the building as Stella.

"It only takes one!" Stella snaps in return and then gives her head a small shake. "Sorry he hasn't called since then, what do you expect me to think?"

"Same thing as me. I'm entering the south-west side. Jessica has the main door covered."

"Don I..." Stella starts only to have her lips emit a soft gasp when another shot is heard. "Mac! Don I'm going in."

"Me too."

XXXXXXXX

"If I have to take you a piece at a time Detective Taylor, I will!" The cackling laughter of suspected serial killer Felix Reite is heard reverberating through the rotten pieces of wood surrounding them; finally resting on the ears of Mac Taylor.

"You missed Felix! But you can be sure I won't when I get my chance!" Mac taunts in return as he carefully takes another step out of the shadows, only to be sent back to his original hiding place by another carefully placed bullet from the stolen gun of Felix Reite. Mac's eyelids rapidly blink away any shards of wood and dust that had set their sights on his eyes, his fingers doing a quick once over to ensure they come away only with dirt, instead of his own blood. Ensuring his frame was for the most part in tact, Mac quickly regroups; his mind once again focused on the task at hand; bringing Felix Reite to justice.

"This place is surrounded!" Mac shouts as he finally takes a chance, leaving the rotting vestige of wood for a sturdier place of concealment, one that is now comprised of a few sheets of steel siding and concrete barricades.

"The more the merrier!" Felix chuckles, forcing an automatic wince from Mac's flushed lips.

The building used to be a storage facility for bridge supplies that was abandoned when the economy started to wane; the company never returning to reclaim what was rightfully theirs. So in addition to a hardened killer trying to take his life; Mac knows that even the simplest piece of rebar or disguised piece of concrete, could have deadly or even life ending consequences if happened upon in an unfortunate or surprising way.

Mac's weary frame rests against the wall for a split second, his chest lightly heaving from the chase and his head slightly pounding from the tumble he and Felix took earlier; the tumble that allowed Felix to get his backup weapon, offer him a harsh blow to the head and then take his leave.

He feels his phone vibrating against his tender ribs; reminding him once again that his partner is still frantically trying to get a hold of him; his silence ensuring a tongue lashing for sure. But each time his fingers attempt to reach for it, a new threat is made and his fingers quickly retreat; this time the threat comes in the form of frantic feet shuffling in the opposite direction. A new escape attempt trying to be played out.

"Damn it," Mac angrily curses as he leaves his secure hiding spot and hurries in the direction of the footsteps; the eerie shadows of the dimly lit surroundings watching with vested interest as the lone Detective chases the wily perpetrator. Mac rounds a corner only to stop short, just as the landing beneath his feet threatens to give way.

"Told you Taylor," Felix's voice calls from behind. "A piece at a time."

Mac quickly turns in the direction of the voice only to be met in the stomach with a piece of wood that Felix somehow managed to scrounge in the darkened area and use to his advantage. However, Mac, knowing what Felix is capable of and driven by pure hatred and vengeful adrenaline, shoots out a hand and yanks an arm full of musty fabric in his direction; pulling Felix into his grasp.

"Hello again," Felix offers a nicotine soaked greeting; to which Mac's stomach instantly recoils, his grip however, remaining firm.

However, the structure has the last laugh as the landing; not being able to support the weight of both men, starts to give way, their destination a darkened story beneath them. Mac's fingers scramble to hold onto anything that will ensure he stays put, while Felix tumbles to the ground; but just as the ground gives way, Mac feels Felix's arms wrap around his waist, tugging him into the inky blackness beneath them.

"Mac!" He hears the beloved voice of his partner calling to him, just as he and Felix fly through the air, a jumble of frantic arms and legs. Felix's body slams into a pile of rotting foam insulation, wood and sawdust, ensuring that while neither would be seriously injured, both would feel the effects of their ill-fated chase but still be able to walk away.

"Stella!" Mac manages before his lungs are forced to suck in stale air, sawdust fibers and mold spores; his eyes watering further.

Mac's body slams into Felix's, his lips offering a painful gasp as his lungs are temporarily winded from the fall. His chest starts to heave for fresh oxygen as his face creases; an outward expression of hurt for an inward feeling of pain. While his fingers were able to hold onto the weapon in his hand, he hears the unmistakable clatter of Felix's weapon being tossed aside and knows he finally has been given the upper hand.

However, not going down without a fight, Felix wraps his arms around Mac's waist, just as Mac tries to roll himself off his suspect's battered frame and holds on.

"Told you...Taylor..." Felix wheezes as Mac lands an elbow to his ribs. Felix emits another cry of pain as Mac tries to twist himself out of Felix's grasp.

Mac finally manages to pry his fingers away and roll off the stack, tumbling a few more feet to the cold, harsh concrete below, thankful to be free of the grasp of the wanted killer. But knowing that his safety still isn't guaranteed, Mac is quick to push himself to his knees; forcing to the back of his mind any searing pain this body wants to force him to take note of.

"It's...over...Felix," Mac pants as he slowly staggers to his feet, his gun aimed and ready. He quickly brushes away some dust from his face, smearing faint traces of blood and dirt over already roughed up skin. "You are under...arrest," Mac barks angrily as he fires off a warning shot into the air. "I missed on purpose; next time I won't."

"This isn't over...Taylor," Felix manages as he rolls onto his side and squints down at Mac.

"Yes it is."

Mac locks eyes with the hardened killer; watching as images of dead bodies start to swim around in the deathly black pools that Felix Reite looks through every day. Felix raises a hand, forcing Mac to cock the trigger once again.

"I'm unarmed...want to shoot me Taylor? I dare you!" Felix laughs, flipping a piece of long, black greasy hair out of his line of sight; his eyes fixed on the seasoned Detective before him.

"You are under arrest," Mac repeats with firmer conviction this time, his heart still racing but his mind now working with the knowledge that very soon help should arrive.

"I don't...THINK SO!" Felix shouts just as he lunges toward Mac.

Mac takes a step back; allowing Felix's body to miss him and land with a painful thud a few feet away. Mac aims his gun once more, just as two large bay doors start to slowly open. Mac turns for a split second, but that's all Felix needs. His hand shoots out, grabs Mac's pant leg and gives it a good tug; forcing Mac to tumble forward, his destination the man before him.

Felix quickly rolls to the side as Mac's body crashes to the ground on his knees, his lips once again emitting a painful gasp but his brain refusing to give up. He pushes himself forward, taking Felix back to the ground just as his ears finally pick up a few more voices.

"Mac!" Stella calls as she nears the two struggling men. "NYPD freeze!" She shouts just as Felix was about to impale Mac with a nearby piece of rebar. She fires off a shot that nearly misses his fingers, forcing Felix to drop the rebar; letting it clatter to the floor, Mac looking at the makeshift weapon in shock.

"Next time..." Felix hisses as Mac glares down at him in anger.

"There won't be a next time Felix. You are going away for life," Mac growls as he finally pushes himself away, standing up beside his partner and refusing to show any kind of weakness to the man looking up at him with a smug smile.

"There will be a next time Taylor; and _she _won't be invited. It'll be just you and me...to the _death._"

"Mac!" Flack's frantic voice shouts as he and two other uniforms officers finally surround them. "Felix Reite you are under arrest."

"Yeah piss on it; he said that already," Felix sneers at Flack.

"Get him out of here!" Mac hisses through clenched teeth; his eyes not daring to look at his partner's face just yet; although he's more than aware of the penetrating gaze her emerald orbs are offering.

"Gladly," Flack replies as he nods to another officer to cuff him while he reads him his rights, leaving Mac and Stella alone as they drag a struggling Felix Reite to jail. "Let's go Felix."

"See you soon Taylor!" Felix Reite's voice is left hanging in the air; the haunting words lingering over the heads of the two remaining Detectives.

Mac finally dares to turn to face his partner; his eyes still darting nervously around in case any surprise was overlooked. He holds up a hand, his face letting her see a small wince, his eyes holding remorse. "Save the lecture."

"Lecture?" Stella arches a wary brow. "Is that what you call concern? Damn it Mac, it was Sinclair that told you to wait _not me_!"

"I didn't have time," Mac groans as he slowly pushes past her, brushing her shoulder with his as he heads for his spare gun.

Stella looks at her sleeve and then at her partner, her head already shaking in disbelief; her fingers coming away from her shoulder with fresh blood; a wound on his arm that was garnered in the one story fall.

"Anything else you didn't have time for?" She asks in exasperation.

"I didn't check for..."

"Personal body injuries?" Stella holds up her hand. "This is yours."

"Just a scratch," Mac frowns as he gingerly touches his throbbing arm; a fresh painful sensation flooding through his body as his fingers dance around the ripped up flesh carefully hidden underneath his torn suit jacket; his brain too busy earlier to notice his arm being snagged on a piece of rebar as he flew through the air.

"Come on. Let me take you..."

"Stella, I'm fine, really."

Without saying anything further, Stella turns and heads for the exit; Mac slowly following behind, his brain refusing to show any kind of physical weakness in a public setting. He stuffs his main piece back into his hip holster, his dirty fingers still encased around the handle of the spare that Felix Reite tried to use in vain to end his life.

"Backup be damned," he mutters in contempt as he finally reaches the cool winter weather outside the building. With the rain still pelting down, the wind blowing around them and the cold air dancing with any exposed flesh it can find; it's not long before Mac's body starts to offer him up as a sacrificial lamb to the harsh elements.

"Was it raining earlier?" Mac frowns as he nears the Avalanche, Stella showing him her set of keys and heading for the drivers side.

"All week Mac, it's winter," not caring if was just making idle conversation.

"I'll drive Stella."

"Mac, I swear I'm no mood for your macho heroics right now. If I have to cuff you and toss you in the back I will, but I'm driving and that's final."

"I said I didn't have time for backup," Mac counters with a firm tone.

Stella turns on her heel and looks at him with anger and concern; a dual of emotions waging war in emerald pools. "I saw those pictures Mac; those men. I know what Felix Reite is capable of. He wouldn't have thought twice about taking you down and carving you up for us to find if for even one second he had gained the upper hand."

"He was unarmed."

"Not for very long!"

"Fine, next time I'll wait for him to carve up another body before he offers us another chance at taking him down when he's alone!"

"Fine!" Stella growls in return as she heads for the front driver's side; getting in and letting the door slam so hard that Mac's feet felt the small tremor on the ground.

"Damn it," he lightly curses as he slowly heads for the side door and pushes himself into the passenger seat, praying for his heart rate to return to normal. The hardened beads of rain beat against the side of the truck; keeping time with Mac's heart rate, his head still throbbing and body wracked with pain, drained of adrenaline and energy. All he can do is allow his body to heave its last heavy sigh of relief and become one with the soft leather seat; relinquishing silent control to his partner.

He looks sideways at Stella, who has her gaze fixed ahead into the unfriendly area before them and knows he needs to make some kind of amends before tension is allowed to foster. He offers her a slight frown; knowing inside that she's been witness to him chasing after suspects before; his life in danger a few times in the past, none life ending. He makes a slight flinch toward the middle console, forcing her body to slightly recoil and his hand to quickly retreat.

"He's going away for life, hopefully death row," Mac finally mentions as Stella's fingers still hover over the ignition switch.

"The last victim looked just like you Mac," her voice manages, a soft whisper full of torment and fear. "The last crime scene I was working on could have been _you. _Do you get that?"

Mac looks at her in sudden realization; it wasn't just him facing a killer one on one that had worried her, it was her finding his body as the next victim of Felix Reite that was forced into her mind when he said he was going in after him and then didn't return her calls; each time she had worked on a victim she was reminded that it could have been him she was working on.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asks in misery; his mind finally pondering her stoic silence or short answers the few days prior to and then leading up to this event.

"Would it have made a difference?" She counters bitterly. "Especially today?"

"I didn't have time to think, I just saw the opportunity and took it," Mac tries to justify as Stella finally turns the key, allowing the engine to spring to life, flooding the compartment with some much needed heat; a slight quiver in his voice, finally fueling her need to take care of him. Mac's fingers reach for the heat switch, hoping to turn it up when Stella's actions stop him; forcing his eyes upward.

"I'm sorry you're cold," she whispers as her fingers wrap around his, not caring about the transfer of blood and dirt to her own flawless skin.

Mac's skin instantly warms in the location her fingers dared to linger; forcing a new surge of adrenaline to course through his veins; feelings he tells himself are not appropriate for this kind of setting, but not having the strength to actually want to break contact, delighting in the feelings more than he's willing to admit.

"I'm dirty too," Mac finally quips with a slight smirk, her eyes finally casting themselves in his direction; allowing him to see a rare momentary display of weakness on her part. "Stella I'm sorry."

"I know," she assures falsely, pasting on a tight lipped smile that he knows in an instant is fake and put on for his own mental comfort.

"But you don't believe me?"

"I don't believe you," she replies as her hand drops his to his lap and resumes its position near the steering wheel; his flesh instantly cooling, inner disappoint starting to rise.

"Stella..." he starts in mild protest.

"I should get you..." she quickly cuts him off.

"Felix..." he tries to argue, his lips trying to stifle another painful twinge; not lost on his observant partner.

"Flack will take care of him, now it's your turn to be taken care of."

"I don't need a hospital," Mac tries.

"I don't care," Stella retorts in a tone that suggests there is a hidden lie to her words; her caring for him deeper than both might realize right now or her wanting to admit right now.

Stella pushes the Avalanche into traffic; the waiting ER department her next destination; a heavy winter storm still beating down around them. She glances at Mac, who has his head turned toward the window and allows her frame to sag back into the leather seats; her mind finally starting to feel some semblance of peace now that her partner is at her side and safe.

The ride to the ER is spent mostly in stifling silence; neither wanting to justify the harsh words spoken a few minutes earlier or make idle chit chat just for the sake of speaking. Mac sees where they are heading but decides to bite his tongue; not wanting to tempt fate a second time and knowing his partner capable of her threat from earlier.

"Probably would enjoy it too," he sighs in exasperation.

"Enjoy what?" Stella inquires, her eyes fixed ahead; knowing that with the harsh weather, any visual deviation might result in an extended stay in the ER; a visit neither would welcome right now.

"Tossing me into the back," he comments as he ventures a glance in her direction.

"You're damn straight I'd enjoy it. You've earned that action a few times now."

"I had to bring him down Stella."

"I know you did Mac," she sighs in return as she brings the truck to a stop just outside the entrance to the ER. Mac's fingers gingerly brush against hers, forcing her eyes to wander in his direction one more time.

"Thank you."

"Nice try, but I am coming in there with you."

"What?" Mac asks in disbelief. "Stella, I'm perfectly capable of walking through those doors and getting myself some help."

"I know you are, but will you?" She counters with a lighter tone, her face finally softening. "You're bleeding here," she whispers as her fingers touch his forehead with some hesitation.

Mac's lips finally curl into a half smile as they linger in their locked embrace for a few seconds longer; before the all too familiar blaring of ambulance sirens, breaks the moment and the mood quickly dissipates. "You're cold. Let's get you inside," Stella finally states before she pulls back, his hand going for the door handle; Stella's actions mirroring his on the other side.

They slowly head toward the entrance; side by side walking in silence, until the doors part and both are greeted with a blast of warm air; dotted with the distinct aroma of hospital.

"Ah Detective Taylor," head ER physician and friend, Dr. Ben Adams, walks up to them with his trademark frown. "I really do appreciate you keeping me in business, but I think you've outdone yourself this time," he sighs as he carefully observes Mac's disheveled and battered appearance. "Does he not know how to play nice with the other children?" Dr. Adams queries and Mac just rolls his eyes.

"I look worse than I feel," he frowns as he nods sideways to Stella. "Wasn't my idea to come here Ben."

"Never is Mac," Dr. Adams retorts as he looks at Stella with a slight smile. "You are too good for him, you know that right?"

Mac simply shakes his head as he looks at Stella who merely shrugs but says nothing further.

"Right this way," Dr. Adams gestures to his right; allowing Mac and Stella to file in behind him as he leads them to a small waiting room. "Take off your jacket and shirt," Dr. Adams instructs Mac.

"Do you want me to leave?" Stella queries as she looks at Mac who hesitates before getting undressed.

"Promise not to lecture me?" Mac asks lightly.

"She won't have to," Dr. Adams pipes up. "I'll save her the trouble."

"Damn conspiracy," Mac grumbles as he slowly removes his dress shirt, handing it, along with his torn suit jacket into the waiting hands of his partner.

Stella's eyes slowly fix themselves on Mac's bloody upper arm, her stomach tightening as Mac's lips offer a gasp of pain as Dr. Adams carefully pulls out a piece of t-shirt fabric had had embedded itself in the wound when it was being created.

"I won't say it," Dr. Adams shakes his head as he helps Mac remove the last of his undershirt; so that Mac sits bare chested on the small table before his partner's examining eyes. He looks up at Stella who finally offers a sympathetic stare, her eyes almost misting the longer she watches his body slowly reveal its inner frailty to her.

"Sorry," he mutters; not caring what Dr. Adams might judge his comment to be.

"I know," she nods in understanding, having been in a similar situation in the past. However, the last time it was Don's life on the line and while she cares for Don as a friend and big brother; inside her mind and heart she knows that she'll use other terms to describe her partner and best friend, her feelings slightly more than platonic and growing stronger as the days slowly pass. Dr. Adams exchanges a glance with her; the older man knowing what with just a look between them, her and her partner are on the path to something more than friendship.

Dr. Adams administers a Tetanus shot thanks to the rust residue from the dirty piece of rebar that left it's mark and then works on the few stitches to close the wound and send Mac home to rest for the night.

"So if I don't see you again Mac, I will be happy," Dr. Adams quips as he applies a square patch over Mac's darkened skin.

"That makes two of us Ben," Mac huffs as he takes his dress shirt back from Stella and starts to redress for the ride home.

"And where the hell is your coat?" Dr. Adams wonders.

"Don't ask," Mac retorts as his eyes fix on the buttons, the top of his head instantly feeling the rueful gaze of his partner; her knowing all too well he left it behind so he could chase their suspect without waiting for backup; true Mac Taylor fashion.

"Thanks," Mac offers to Dr. Adams for his kind treatment once again and then watches Stella near him just as Dr. Adams takes his leave. His fingers slightly tremble as he hurries to fix the buttons, her presence starting to hinder his actions. Stella gently pushes his dirty hands aside and continues the task of fastening his shirt side, finally standing back and handing him his suit jacket.

"Thank you," Mac rewards her actions; holding her hands in his and delighting in the feeling once again of added warmth.

"You were taking too long," she tosses with a slight smile. "Got a text from Don, he has your coat."

"Shall I ge...right I'll get it tomorrow," Mac states in haste as she looks at him sharply. "For the record I'm fine."

"Tell me that again without the added wince for effect."

"Stella..."

"Mac, you fell one story onto a hardened pile of rubbish, onto the stomach of a man who wanted to kill you. You'll get the damn coat tomorrow."

"I said I was fine."

"You seriously want to go there right now?" Stella counters with a soft glance as they reach the front of the truck; the rain still pelting them with icy droplets of cold water.

"No," Mac answers simply as he gets inside; thankful for the warmth, instantly stopping the trembling his body was offering as proof of his partner's suspicions.

Mac settles back in the seats, his body finally starting to feel the full effects of being drained of energy; his mind, however, refusing to allow him to fall asleep or show any kind of fatigue while his partner is still in his presence. Thankful that Stella makes light conversation about the after affects of this case; his brain can once again focus on work, instead of the dull thud his aching chest wanted to offer as a reward for putting his body through hell without asking for permission first.

They reach Mac's apartment, Stella stopping the truck but then surprising Mac by getting out instead of offering him the simple goodnight he was assured would follow another concerned lecture.

"Stella, you can be sure I will go inside."

"Humor me Mac," Stella slightly frowns as Mac turns the key to the front door and then lets them both into the comforting warmth of the apartment foyer. "Besides, this way I can go home knowing I did my job today."

"You always..." Mac starts in protest only to have Stella's finger gently press against his cool lips, stopping his speech.

"My _real _job. Just hush now," she insists as she offers him a tender smile. "What floor Mr. Taylor?"

"Funny," Mac deadpans as they both step into the elevator and wait in silence as it slowly climbs to the desired floor; depositing them both out a few feet from Mac's front door. But when Mac sees that Stella has no intention of leaving he looks at her, making no move to open the door. "I will be fine; no one is waiting inside."

"Sounds lonely."

"I meant..." he lightly stammers.

"I'm going to come in there and make some coffee while you take a shower and then I'll leave when I have put something in the microwave for you."

"You don't have to."

"I know, but I am going to."

"Okay," Mac's face softens; his brain finally getting it through to him that she's not going to leave until she's assured that he'll at least rest for the remainder of the night; instead of sending her home in a worried state, keeping her up wondering if he's at home or doing something else work related to garner her frustration.

Once inside his quiet apartment, Mac slowly eases off his tattered suit jacket and then looks at Stella with a nervous glance.

"So I could..." his voice starts in a nervous ramble.

"It's just me Mac; why are you nervous?"

"Not sure really," his brows display a nervous expression.

"We aren't at work so this should be easier for you."

"Should...be," he mumbles as he looks at her in expectation. "I am tired."

"I know you are," Stella replies in a comforting tone, as she takes a few steps closer. "It's just that..." her voice dies out.

"Come here," he invites; to which she readily complies.

She finally wraps her arms around his weary chest, holding on as if it would be the only physical contact she'd ever be offered, his warm breath sending small shivers down her worried frame.

"God I thought I lost you," she whispers with a hint of remorse. "You said the shot was fired and then...then silence. Damn it Mac."

"Sorry."

She pulls back, finally allowing emerald to lock with sapphire, her fingers gently brushing a piece of dirt off his rough cheek.

"You need a shower."

"I do," Mac agrees with a heavy sigh.

"Just go and do what you have to do and I'll...well I'll do what I have to also," she instructs in a light tone. "Please?"

Knowing it's pointless to argue, Mac simply nods and then turns, heading for his bedroom to change, his usually strong shoulders, displaying weary fatigue for her to view.

"Oh Mac..." Stella whispers with a twinge of sorrow as she turns and heads for the kitchen.

She busies herself with trying to find something for him to eat; shaking her head at the sad state of his fridge and uttering a soft ethnic curse at the dismal state of his cupboards. Finally discovering a microwave dinner in the freezer, she pulls it out and then goes in search of a plate. However, not hearing the shower starting up, she pokes her head around the corner to see Mac's bedroom light still on; bathroom door open but otherwise his apartment is bathed in silence.

With a slightly worried expression and expecting to see him sitting on the edge of the bed having a silent argument with himself, she heads toward his room and stops in surprise.

"Mac what ar..." her words die in her mouth.

Stella stops and leans against the doorframe, gazing upon her partner's still frame; her heart instantly breaking into small but understanding pieces.

"Mac..." she softly laments as she slowly enters. Mac had managed to get his dress shirt undone, his dress pants still on, but he had lost the battle and simply fell asleep where she assumes he just thought he'd rest for a few minutes before continuing. Very carefully she pushes his other leg all the way onto the bed, his body slightly stirring but thankfully never fully awakening.

Stella quickly retrieves a warm quilt from his closet and carefully covers his slightly trembling frame; taking small comfort when his body finally lies still; the warmth easing his nerves instantly. She kneels down beside him, her concerned eyes studying his handsome face, her heart rate finally slowing at the visual knowledge that her partner will finally get at least some rest. Her fingers tenderly fix his collar so that his face is fully at peace; his brow finally starting to ease as his body continues to revel in the newly found sensation of sleep.

"Goodnight Mac," she whispers as she leans in closer, plants a soft kiss on his cheek, his lips slightly parting as he mumbles a slight, 'g'_night_,' in return, his eyes staying closed. Stella gives Mac's covered frame a once over; wanting to ensure that his body heat remains; before she turns off the small bedside light and then heads for the kitchen. She ensures that the coffee maker is turned off; dinner back in the freezer; only one light left on and then locks the door, his spare key being carefully tucked inside her pocket as she slips away into the night; heading for her own apartment with the comforting knowledge that her partner is safely tucked away; his weary frame getting some much needed rest.

Stella pulls her coat closer around her body as she quickly gets out of the cab and hurries toward the front door of her apartment building; the wind blowing harder, assaulting her with hardened pellets of rain and merciless gusts of wind as the storm continues to garner strength, the week ahead promising to be one of hell.

Stella lets herself into her quiet apartment and quickly sheds her damp coat and wet shoes, quickly turning up the heat and then heading for the TV; her mind however, still displaying tender images of her partner at sleep in his bed.

_'And Greater New York continues to be pounded by this raging storm...' _the weathercaster's voice fills the void of her apartment as Stella wanders toward her kitchen, putting on the kettle; opting for a warm cup of tea instead of a chilled glass of wine.

_'Will continue to gain strength in the next few days; various travel advisories issued for...' _the stern warning continues to echo between the wooden boards surrounding her small entertainment unit; trying to press into her worried brain that something other than her partner's health was also worth paying heed to.

_'Possible power outages and storm surges in certain areas...'_

"Well Mac...at least the worst for us is over," Stella utters fatefully.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay so do you guys like it? Hate it? And I know I still have Target to finish up which I will (with another AU based on #2 of my poll results waiting to post) but wanted to throw this up and see what you all think. Please let me know if you want me to continue and thanks in advance!!


	2. Further into Oblivion

**Title: Escape from Rikers Island  
****Chapter 2 - Further into Oblivion**

**A/N**: Wow thanks so much for the AMAZING response! Well I rewrote this chapter a few times but am still nervous about this so am hoping that you'll still like the rest going forth and thanks so much for the encouraging comments. I truly do appreciate them and they help the muse to write and update faster for you all! If you want to flame, why?

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_'Piece at a time Taylor...'_

"Stop you...Felix..." another horrific image slowly seeps its way into Mac Taylor's tormented subconscious; his body starting to lightly jerk with each stabbing motion that is offered; images of his own helpless state replacing the bloodied corpses that Felix Reite left as is calling card.

_'Will meet again...'_

"Under...arrest..." Mac's soft voice echoes in the stillness of his bedroom; small beads of sweat lightly dancing upon his darkened brow which is creased into a soft characteristic frown; mottled with dirt and a few traces of dried blood; the ones that the caring attention of Dr. Adams failed to remove.

_'She'll watch you die Taylor...'_

"Stella...no..." Mac's mumbles once more, calling out, "Stella!" At the same time an angry burst of thunder rattles his already storm battered window panes and Mac's mind forces his body awake, his lips emitting a soft gasp as his watery eyes open wide; Stella's lifeless corpse calling to him for help.

"Stella..." Mac pants as he frantically reaches for the light, pushing the switch and then cursing as his actions clumsily push the lamp toward the edge before landing with a noisy clatter on the floor below, bathing the room in darkness once again. "Damn it," Mac curses as his body is slow to react toward the fallen object, every movement resulting in a new sensation of pain.

The last thing he remembers was his beloved partner forcing him to acknowledge the fact that he wasn't the invincible man of steel he liked to portray to the world around and actually stating she wanted to take care of him. Thinking she could still be somewhere in his apartment, he once again reaches for the light, determined to restore order to his bedroom before he goes in search.

He finally uprights the small lamp, turning it on and then after untangling himself from his quilt, slowly stumbles out of bed heading for the living room; his anticipation at finding his partner asleep in his dwelling forcing a small twinge of happy contentment to develop. But as he rounds the corner, all that greets him is an empty couch and silence; his lips emitting a heavy sigh that somehow adds a small amount of comfort to his tormented brain.

"I didn't expect her to stay," he mumbles to himself as he heads into the kitchen and flips off the one light that Stella had left on, his fingers resting on a small note that she left in case he had woken up to this solitary scenario.

_'Mac, sleep well. I'll see you tomorrow. Love, Stella.' _

And although he knows she offered the word '_love'_ as a mere formality her words soothe his aching mind, bringing a small amount of comforting peace; the exact feelings her personal presence would have offered if she were standing before him, offering the words from her perfect lips. His lips curl, his heart racing a bit faster as his mind replays her concerned expression when she was watching him being tended to by Dr. Adams. He knew her gaze also held a slight amount of exasperation, but she let Dr. Adams voice most of the usual disdain for his penchant for garnering himself a trip to the ER and instead offered comforting smiles and shy glances; her eyes also holding a silent hunger that made him feel desired and vulnerable at the same time.

"You need sleep Mac," he tells himself in a quiet tone. "And a shower," his face lightly creases as his keen senses pick up the faint traces of the pungent smell of Felix Reite mixed with his own sweat and Dr. Adams hospital residue as they start to make themselves known, telling him that he needs to make a pit stop before he crawls into bed once more; a second attempt at sleep on his mind.

With another weary sigh, Mac heads for the bathroom, a much needed shower his next destination. Before he reaches the doorway, he pauses in the hallway, casting his weary gaze toward the storm outside and feeling his body slightly shiver despite the fact that his apartment is warm and dry. However, he knows that from today's events, it's the haunting laughter inside his head from Felix Reite, not the howling wind outside that is forcing his body to respond to unseen prodding's.

_'See you soon Detective Taylor...'_ Felix's voice calls out to him from afar, forcing him to quicken his actions; his lips turning from a slight scowl into a purse, a tune trying to whistler forth as his brain wants to push away all the haunted images of the victim's that Stella saw as her partner and focus on something mindless and not work related.

Finally making it into the bathroom, Mac looks at himself in the mirror and frowns as his reflection offers a slight grimace in return instead of a smile or any other facial expression other than one of pain and remorse over his foolhardy actions from earlier.

"I'm sorry Stella," he huffs as he slowly turns around and reaches for the hot water dial; allowing the steam to fill the small space; his frame easing its fitful trembling once again. Saying sorry to her might seem odd to any stray listeners, but he knows inside the numerous times his actions have caused her emotional strife and mental anxiety; most of them done without her prior knowledge or consent, the ones where she was informed were doubly troubling. Although she always tells him she's fine the next day; her silent testament around these victims has told him another story; he needs to be more careful with the precious gift of life she fears he likes to squander. With her dropping the word '_love' _could there also be more a than platonic feeling behind that sentiment? One possibly worth putting himself out on an emotional limb for? Thankfully those thoughts keep his mind occupied as he goes about getting ready for bed, Felix Reite taking a back seat to Stella Bonaseara.

Telling himself he'll shave in the morning, Mac finishes removing the last of his tattered clothing, tossing the ripped dress pants and shirt into the garbage and then slowly easing himself under the streams of hot water, his lips offering another soft growl as the moisture dances with his tender skin, laughing at his weary condition and showing no mercy to the man who endured a romp through hells wasteland; the devil's son as his guide.

Mac closes his eyes, allowing his brain to momentarily flash images of Felix Reite's handiwork; another silent self justification for putting himself into harms way to bring down the serial killer at any cost.

_'Could have been you Mac...'_ Stella's tormented tone is still heard in his mind; images of himself, slashed to death forcing is body to offer another involuntary shudder; a silent memorial and promise of revenge to the ones already fallen.

"He'll never be allowed to kill again," Mac utters as another powerful clap of thunder forces his body to feel the powerful rumbling through the concrete walls, his eyes snapping open in haste. Mac quickly finishes his shower, slowly dresses into something more suitable for sleeping and once again wanders toward his quiet salvation, his eyes closing and his mind whisking him away into the dark realm of sleep almost as soon as his fingers turned off the light, morning coming all too soon.

XXXXXXXX

Hurrying from the inner confines of the cab, Mac offers a quick glance to his reflection in the store window; a strained Mac Taylor being offered visibly, a direct contradiction to the mask of confidence he put on as soon as he left his apartment. Wondering if he'll be able to fool his partner, his fingers quickly wrap around the handle of the front door to his second home; a voice calling to him from behind, stopping his actions immediately.

"Mac!" Stella calls to him over the howling wind, forcing Mac to turn around, squint into the driving rain as he watches his partner hurry toward him; a smile unable to hide itself as her presence nears him. She pushes past him, brushing his arm with hers as she finally comes to a halt inside the warm foyer of their building.

"Morning," Mac greets her warmly.

"I am really tired of winter," she laments as she quickly tries to brush off some excess water that had made one final assault as she rushed toward him. She feels Mac's fingers brushing something off her sleeve and then turns to face him with a slight frown. "I'm glad you got some rest last night."

"Sorry for falling asleep on you," Mac lightly frowns as his fingers gingerly remove a lingering droplet, pushing an unruly curl away from her flushed cheek.

"No you're not," Stella counters as her cool lips form a half smile. "But given the events of yesterday it was almost expected. Did you at least throw the suit away?"

"I did," Mac replies as his lips slightly curl into a half smirk. However, the longer they stand only about a foot apart, he feels some nervous anxiety starting to develop, his heart rate slowly elevating and his stomach developing a feeling that he has labeled for teenagers only. "Thank you again," is all he seems to be able to offer.

"You would have done the same for me," Stella offers lightly as they finally pull apart and head toward the elevator. "But to make it up to me, my first cup of coffee is on you."

"I can live with that," Mac states as his eyes shift to the side, carefully watching as she tries to fix something on her jacket that obviously isn't to her liking; another delightful memory that will be seared into his detail orientated brain, carefully tucked away in the Stella Bonasera treasure-trove. "And I'm glad you got home safe," he adds, not sure if that sounds lame or concerned as he knows she would have been just fine. He feels his fingers starting to curl into tight nervous fists as his brain races with the newly found notion of asking if she'd like to spend some time outside a work setting; something more private and intimate.

"Mac? You seem nervous?" She rightfully calls him on his current actions.

"I was going to ask you..." Mac starts only to have the elevator doors slowly hiss open, instantly breaking the mood, pushing the personal question to the back of his mind and forcing Stella's mind to want to contemplate sending her fingers to reach for the 'stop' button and force him to finish his sentence.

"Mac?"

"It was nothing," he offers in his weak defense as Flack heads toward them with a stern expression.

"Bastard is a nasty piece of work!" Flack growls as he stands before them with a look that if his eyes were capable of sending forth lead pellets, everyone around them would be dead in an instant. He finally takes a deep breath and then looks from Stella's wondering glance to Mac's pensive stare. "Sorry...did I uh interrupt something?"

"No," Mac answers in haste. "You talking about Felix? Where is he?"

"Was sent to Rikers last night," Flack huffs as he turns and wanders after Mac and Stella, pausing briefly outside Mac's office, his posture still tense.

"Did he offer anything more?"

"You mean the 'supposed' identity of his accomplice or assistant or whatever? No," Flack spits in contempt. "Said he didn't know what I was talking about and that was it."

"Well it's up to the court system now, but with the amount of evidence and the at least eight confirmed brutal slayings Felix Reite is going away for life. If the murders stop then I don't care what further lies he tells as long as he's convicted and off my streets," Mac assures them as he wanders into his office, finally ridding himself of his winterized coat and then watches Stella offer them both a nod, taking her leave; a promise to return once she's answered her page.

"What else did he say?"

"You mean what other threats against the life of Mac Taylor did he offer?" Flack counters with raised brows. "You know Stella can take it Mac; she's known you for ten years."

"She worries more than she should."

"She cares for you Mac," Flack notes in a quieter tone, not wanting anyone within ear shot to be given anything in the way of gossip fodder; knowing how his friend hates to be the center of any kind of attention.

"She can do better," Mac lightly grunts as the power flickers; his brow creasing. Flack looks at him, wanting to offer an automatic rebuttal but a warning glance from Mac, forces his mind to wait for a better time.

"Being doing that for the better part of an hour; surprised we still have power. We got Felix to Rikers just in time," Flack states with a heavy sigh. "Jess is just finishing up the paperwork that will be submitted to Judge McFarland and then we can finally wash our hands of Felix Reite."

Before Mac can offer another word, Flack's phone rings and the conversation quickly changes to one with a more familiar tone.

"Damn was hoping to get today off," Flack lightly curses. "I'll check this out and talk to you later."

"Right."

"And Mac?" Flack pauses in the doorway, looking back with slight smile.

"Yeah?"

"Don't sell yourself short, you know there is no one else Stella would rather be with; and for you? Well that's a given," Flack offers and then hurries away, not wanting to give Mac the opportunity to argue in return; once again proving to Mac that he knows him better than he might let on around others.

Mac looks at the empty space his friend was standing in, shaking his head in disbelief before he turns his back, muttering to himself about how Flack was way off.

"Don was way off on what?" Stella queries as she makes her presence known.

"He worries too much," Mac quickly counters, not wanting to hint at the fact that without her knowledge and behind her back, _she _was the topic of their conversation.

"Felix making threats again?"

"Petty threats."

"Don't you think it's time to take just one of them seriously?" She asks in a non confrontational manner; knowing its something more than professional courtesy driving her wonder. Her mind wants to replay Felix's taunting threat that he would have another go at Mac without her around to help; her heart aching at the mere possibility that for even a split second it could come true and her future would be moot.

"Stella, if I was to allow every threat made against me by every criminal I helped arrest affect me in any way; I'd never leave the house. Felix Reite knows we have him and he's acting the way every coward does, making idle threats that will never come to fruition. Now what else do we have?"

"New case and thankfully this one is mostly under shelter," Stella notes as she looks past him, her eyes narrowing at nature's fury on the other side of the thick piece of glass. "My hair is still wet."

"It always looks beautiful," Mac absently states as he looks up with a slight smile. "So...what about our evidence?"

"Mac Taylor," Stella quips as she turns to leave, shaking her head as a small chuckle escapes her lips, damp curls hanging around her shoulders, laughing at him as she heads back toward her office to get her coat; finally rejoining her partner in the hallway, the parking lot their next destination.

Mac eyes the truck with a certain amount of suspicion; remembering not too long ago that he was a passenger in the said vehicle, his life almost ended by a sadistic madman. Thankfully he doesn't get an argument in return as he pulls the keys and opens the drivers side; Stella silently heading for the passenger seat.

"Jessica is going to meet us there," Stella informs Mac as he carefully winds through traffic toward their destination, the black crossover being assaulted from all sides by rain that is almost sleet, wind gusts nearly felt inside the dry cabin. "How long is this storm supposed to last?"

"I think it's supposed to get stronger in the next few hours, reach its pinnacle and then slowly dissipate...to a...what's so funny?" Mac wonders as Stella's lips emit a soft chuckle.

"Just wasn't expecting a really scientific answer. Whatever happened to, tonight and then tomorrow it'll be gone."

Mac looks over at her, realizing she's teasing and feels his face start to soften. "Tomorrow is supposed to be worse," he mentions.

"Right thanks," she lightly groans. "Besides the occasional wince, if I were to ask how you are today, would you tell me the truth?"

"I feel like hell," Mac states as he offers her a brief sideways glance, his eyes quickly back on the road to ensure the safe arrival at their destination. Mac slightly tenses when Stella's fingers rest on his arm, giving is a slight squeeze, his lips automatically curling upward, but his eyes kept forward. She didn't have to tell him she understood or was sorry; the small physical gesture told him more than a few simple words would have been able.

They finally reach their destination, a welcoming committee comprising of various dressed and undressed police cruisers, a handful of uniformed officers, covered in yellow slickers milling around the outside area; keeping from entering those not invited into the death house.

Mac's eyes start to quickly survey the landscape as they pass it; taking in any odd imperfections that might seem out of place or even in place to the untrained eye. He enters ahead of Stella, his stomach automatically constricting as they are hit full force with the pungent smell of death; a familiar scent but one that still holds new degrees of disgust no matter how long they have been doing their job.

"Another...oh god..." Stella utters in misery as she gazes upon the carved up body that is now in the skilled hands of fellow CSI and friend Sheldon Hawkes. _Could be Mac,_ her brain laments as her eyes are held in place by time and space, locked with the haunted sapphire orbs, begging to her for help. It's not until her mind sees the lips of their latest victim offer a small '_help me Stella',_ her ears hearing Mac's voice; does she quickly jolt herself back to reality; the image quickly fading; the body still.

"You okay?" Mac's warm breath whispers in her ear, her heart racing so fast and loud she's sure he'll be able to detect it.

"Fine," she pastes on a tight lipped smile and heads for Sheldon, offering him only a slight nod and sideways glance; but nothing personal to solidify her statement. He watches her leave his side; a ghostly feel of cold air starting to blanket him as he tries to understand what else she feels when she gazes upon the face of the dead man.

"Stella," Mac's soft voice tries to get her eyes to look in his direction. But she's unable; fixed at Sheldon's side, she looks at the man at her feet; crudely bound, sliced open and almost wants to throw up her breakfast as her eyes see Mac's name where the man's official name tag is on his shirt. Stella senses Mac flinch; looks up and lightly frowns, his eyes begging her for any kind of rash explanation.

"Work first, right?" She offers; unable to voice in front of Sheldon that she fears for his very soul.

"Right," Mac resigns; his mind remembering what she had told him how working on the victims that looked like him had affected her. But they are in a public place, and now isn't the time for him to ensure she is okay to continue; she was like him, a trained professional.

"What can you tell us Sheldon?" Mac finally inquires, telling himself to check with Stella about her emotional wellbeing when they were once again in private.

"From the slash patterns and the visible perforations, I'd say it looks to be the same handiwork as Felix Reite."

"So he..."

"However, internal liver temp would put TOD about five o'clock _yesterday_," Sheldon informs them.

"Yesterday? He was with Mac in that warehouse. That means that..." Stella starts.

"Felix Reite was either the decoy or figured he's leave his accomplice in the lurch while he tried to buy a fake passport to get away," Mac finishes with a non-vocalized curse.

"No honor among killers," Sheldon quips.

"We have an ID on our vic?" Mac asks Jessica as she slowly walks up toward them.

"Judas Priest," Jessica tells them, forcing Mac to look at her with raised brows. "Blame the parents."

"I do," Mac grunts as he looks back down at the victim; once again his own face displayed before him; his lungs choking on his own blood as Felix Reite's apprentice slowly slashes away his life; his helpless state unable to do anything but lie in place and unwillingly accept his grisly demise. "This proves our theory."

"So then the other four bodies weren't the handiwork of Felix Reite," Sheldon ponders. "It was his assistant."

"Like to see the write up for that job description," Jessica retorts, making Stella look at her with a weak frown. "Blame Don."

"Oh we do," Sheldon notes.

"Okay we need to preserve this room. Sheldon get the body back to Sid and start working on it; Stella and I will finish up here."

"You got it."

Stella once again watches with morbid fascination as their victim's lifeless body is carefully attended to for transport; Mac's voice still calling in her mind for help; another offering a warning that bad things were still to come. Mac busies himself with taking whatever scene photo's Sheldon didn't and then finally turns to Stella when it was just the two of them left alone.

He gently touches her elbow, forcing a tormented emerald gaze to lock with a determined sapphire one.

"What?"

"Same as last time Mac, I'm processing a scene that could have been...you."

"Want me to call Lindsay to..."

"Remove me from a scene?" She snaps in anger; her face instantly softening as she turns away, unable to display a momentary display of weakness.

"I was going to ask her to come and help."

"I can handle it Mac," Stella insists as she turns back to him with a firm nod.

"This wasn't calling any of your skills into question," he is quick to add; wanting to ensure that it's concern for her emotional and mental wellbeing he's considering.

"I'll be fine," she assures; her tone firm and suggesting that she's eager to get back to work. "I know better than to ask you if you are okay with seeing yourself...well like this."

"Stella..."

"I just want this nightmare to be over as much as you."

"Okay. Let's finish up," Mac has no choice but to agree. He watches her head back to the spot she was working on previously; once again his admiration for her continuing to grow as she proves to him without word that her outer shell remains hard and impenetrable from the world around them; much the same as his.

For the next few hours, they work every inch of the room, finally heading back with what they hope is enough evidence to at least garner then a fingerprint, strand of hair or flake of skin; anything with a telling DNA sample attached to it.

After telling Stella, he'd join her after he was done, Mac slowly heads down to Sid Hammerback's lair, the body of their latest victim needing at least some kind of closure. With a slight feeling of apprehension starting to develop in the pit of his stomach as he nears his skilled ME, Mac wonders if it's also perhaps Stella's paranoia also feeding his brain.

"Kinda unnerving," Sid mentions as Mac nears the table; the autopsy already started.

"What is?"

"Working on _you,_" Sid nods to the dean man at his fingertips who bears a slight resemblance to the man alive and standing before him.

"Only at first...no not really," Mac insists, his brow creased and his eyes trying not to lock with the haunted pools before him as Sid looks at him in wonder. Sid opens his mouth to offer another comment, but Mac's facial expression suggests he just start into his verbal report and that is exactly what he does. But as Sid starts into his initial findings; Mac is offered the same mental vision as Stella had earlier. The blue eyes slowly open, lifeless lips start to offer sickening screams and useless calls for help as Felix continues his delightful game of murder.

"Mac?" Sid queries; his voice instantly snapping Mac back to reality, the dead man showing no signs of anything other than the physical remnants of Felix's handiwork. "You okay?"

"Tired," Mac replies in haste; giving Sid a nod to continue but a small look that states not to ask anything further in the way of a personal question about his welfare. Sid starts to explain in detail how each cut was made; Mac's mind once again conjuring images of himself, kidnapped, bound and alive enough to feel each sickening thrust as it was offered. But not wanting Sid to be the one to once again bring his attention back to the task at hand, Mac is quick to pull himself back to reality first; his ME never privy to another morbid nightmare.

Stella finishes her task; her eyes drifting to the empty space before her, but her mind wondering how Mac is faring with their latest victim; another innocent for their viewing pleasure. She watches him finally return, his face pale, drained of color and wonders how he'll fare tonight after once again seeing himself on the ME's operating table. But in true Mac Taylor fashion, he displays a slight nod and gets to work; offering her the same dosage of professional medicine she subjected him to earlier.

"My turn to ask how you are?" She wonders softly; her eyes not wandering upward, her heart rate slightly elevated.

"I saw myself," Mac answers; absently staring outside into the dark, stormy late afternoon sky. "Was um..."

"Frightening?" Stella dares, finally looking up and forcing emerald to lock with sapphire; once again holding his gaze captive until she was ready to release him.

"To a degree yes," he humbly admits; thankful that it's only to her ears he's offering his truthful confession. "We need to get him Stella, everything else is secondary."

"We'll get him Mac, with Felix now in jail there is no one left to call the shots."

"Do you believe that?" Mac counters as he picks up one of the small evidence bags and prepares to work.

Stella looks at him but chooses not to answer; knowing inside that her uneasy feeling mirrors his and just because Felix Reite is in jail also knows that money can buy even the staunchest loyalty. So with only allowing him to hear a heavy sign in return; she picks up her second bag of evidence and joins him in trying to find any clues that will point in the direction of whoever Felix Reite had managed to find to join his evil army.

Mac finally finishes up his assigned task and then looks up to see that he is alone in the room; so engaged in his last piece of evidence that he failed to see Stella leave his side. Not allowing the stifling silence in the room to cripple him further, Mac puts down his instrument, looks at the time and frowns.

"Damn it, almost dinner," he mutters angrily as he heads for the break room. He fills up two cups of coffee and then goes in search of his partner, finally finding her in her office, looking out the window.

"Stella?" He asks in hesitation, knowing he'd take his life in his hands if he were to sneak up unannounced.

"Lost in thought," her soft reply tugs at his heart strings, his gaze following hers outside into the raging storm. "Just heard that the storm will hit its peak tomorrow."

"Then I'm glad we'll be indoors," he mentions as she finally turns around to face him. "I owed you coffee right?" Mac holds up the steaming piece of Styrofoam and offers her a timid smile along with it.

"Was kinda hoping for an invitation away from work," Stella mentions as she takes the cup, her fingers warming instantly as they protectively curl around the outside.

"Right, well I was..." Mac starts only to be quickly cut off by a gentle hand being raised in the air.

"It was just a suggestion."

"Would probably taste better away from work," Mac notes as he takes a sip of his, his brow gently creasing. "How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"The last time you said..."

"Mac, I will always worry about you," she admits in a soft tone. "But I know what you expect and in this avenue that is what I will give you."

Mac looks at her with a perplexed glance; his brain reminding him that he'll never understand the reasoning behind the things women say or how they act one day as opposed to the next.

"I think I get it," Mac suddenly states as he takes the cup from her hands, forcing her eyes to look at him in wonder.

"Mac? I was going to finish that."

"Not here."

She gently folds her arms in front of her chest, an amused smile starting to play upon her face, flushed lips complimenting olive toned skin; her mind in expectation from her handsome partner.

"What is going on?"

"Well you said away from work and there is a great Greek place next door. That is if you don't mind braving the elements for a third time today?"

"Third time's a charm?"

"Right."

"Well lead on, you know I'm always ready for a good adventure," Stella counters.

"I don't doubt that. I just figured that since we got no hits in Codis and Don is still...what?"

"Mac you don't need to justify your request to me," Stella confesses in a soft tone, her mind dancing with happy delight at her partner's non professional invitation. "I would love to go to dinner with you next door. We both need the break."

"I'll get my coat," Mac tells her as he places his cup down on her desk and slowly turns and heads from her office back into the hallway; his heart about to burst with teenage delight. Once again he tries to rationalize what he just did; trying to tell himself that it was because there was a lull in the evidence that they should take a break until a new clue is presented and the opportunity is taken away. However, inside he knows it's something more; a growing feeling that has been begging for him to act upon, a small round of mental applause that he has finally taken the advice and is on his way.

Wrapping his scarf around his neck; Mac slowly fumbles with the buttons on his coat as he catches up to Stella by the elevator. They make small talk about their findings as the elevator slowly descends; carrying them toward the floor, wanting to deposit them into the uncaring arms of old man winter.

"Have I said how much I hate this kind of winter?" Stella grumbles as unruly gusts of wind start to pick up stray ends of her curls and play with them; taunting to never give them back.

Mac's lips try to offer a small smile of sympathy, but as the wind nips at his cheeks, his lips purse into an angry grimace his body inching closer to hers; his arm instinctively wrapping around her waist and pulling her into his strong embrace, hoping to at least shield part of her body from the merciless storm. Stella says nothing in return; just offeirng a shy smile to her strong protector; delighting in the feeling of her body pressed up against his.

They hurry inside the small entrance to the Greek restaurant, thankful for the blast of warm air that greets them; instantly offering them a loving refuge from the unfriendly arena they just exited; winter not extended an inside invitation. After being shown to their table, both shed their winter cloaks and then slide in across from the other; firstly allowing silence to govern the table as both sit in expectation until one finally decides to take the first step in breaking the silence.

Stella's hand slowly slides across the table, gently gathering Mac's fingers into her palm and gazing upon the remnants of scraped skin that was the result of his scuffle with Felix Reite.

"He left his mark," Mac mentions in a low tone, her fingers curling around them tighter; not wanting to let go, her brain delighting in the added warmth his flesh melding with hers was offering. "Stella I'm okay."

"And your arm? Not able to show off those muscles yet?" Stella inquires, her mind reveling in the soft smile his handsome face offers; a quiet charm that has her instantly smitten.

"At least it's not summer," Mac quips. "So I guess I do have the last laugh right?"

"As long as he's still alive Mac, there will always be the added possibility that Felix Reite will be able to extend his arm and destroy another life. One single thrust and he's destroyed another future just like that."

Mac's free hand closes over the entanglement of his and Stella's fingers; instantly sending small electrical shocks to the other side of his body; the side devoid of that euphoria without her touch.

"He's locked up in jail Stella; surrounded by those that will ensure his captivity. He'll never have the chance again to hurt another human being."

XXXXXXXX

_"You have a visitor Reite."_

_"So nice of you to join me," Felix Reite greets with a mock bow before he leans back in his small holding cell, a nicotine stained finger slowly pushing a greasy black strand behind his ear. "To what do I owe the honor?"_

_"Just shut it Felix. I took a real chance to get here."_

_"Did you get what I need?"_

_"Everything except the reason.__ With the storm raging, this place will be in lockdown mode until it lightens. There will be no opportunity..."_

_"I don't want some lame ass excuse. I want out of his damn hell hole!" Felix hisses as his dark eyes glare at the traitorous man before him. _

_"I won't..."_

_"You told me I wouldn't be caught yesterday when you hooked me up with Janix and that bastard Taylor somehow knew where I'd be. Either he's very lucky or..."_

_"I told him nothing!"_

_"I don't believe you. Now you promised me a means of transport and..."_

_"You just need..."_

_"A diversion," Felix mumbles as he slowly eases his lanky frame back on the small dingy cot in the private cell; a cell that now has its security cameras on a time out for another five minutes. _

_"Are you out of your..."_

_"Mind?"__ Felix's lips curl into a twisted smile. "It's a title most of my kind wear proudly but one you'd do well to hold your tongue on in my presence! However, as demented as you might peg me to be, I tried things your way once and it failed miserably, and now we are going to do them my way. If not, you know the consequences."_

_"I can't guarantee..."_

_"Right so then I'll have to. You bring him to me here, and I'll guarantee it works."_

_"Pardon?__ Who are you talking about? We haven't even finalized..."_

_"Mac Taylor.__ You get him here and I'll guarantee we'll both get what we have worked so hard for."_

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**A/N:** thanks so much for reading as always and please let me know what you thought before you go!


	3. Nature, an Unwilling Accomplice

**Title: Escape from Rikers Island  
****Chapter 3 - Nature, an Unwilling Accomplice**

**A/N: **well a BIG THANKS to those still sticking with this story. I know this story is different from my usual style and I do apologize if it's not what you are used to but hopefully you'll like the rest of this short ficlet and thanks in advance.

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Throughout dinner Stella tries to concentrate on the soothing sound of Mac's voice; talking in general about various non descript things; but not being able to push aside a growing feeling in the pit of her stomach, one telling her that something evil besides the storm was brewing right now. A warning? But for what?

"Stella?" Mac's baritone voice breaks her thoughts and calls once again for her eyes to lock with his.

"Sorry I uh..." she starts with a heavy sigh, followed by a warm smile. "I didn't sleep very well last night."

Mac looks at his watch and Stella immediately curses herself for offering the truth in haste; not really wanting the night to end. His eyes lock with hers once again; starting their futile search for answers that she won't easily offer now that she's back to a lucid frame of mind.

"Felix?" Mac queries; not realizing that the man's name he's offering is cursing his right now.

"The events from yesterday Mac, plain and simple."

"Then it's time to call it a night."

"Next time dinner is on me," she informs him as they reach for their coats. Mac's quick actions ensure she's able to redress for the elements outside with his help; delighting in the feel of his strong hands resting on her shoulders and giving them a gentle squeeze; his body inches from hers and her heart rate once again elevated. He was frugal at best with his public displays of affection; not a man to openly show how he feels; so any bit of attention her mind and heart clings to, silently begging for him to continue and praying he'll realize his actions will never be in vain.

Mac quickly gathers his coat; following after Stella as they head for the front door, neither really wanting to head back outside into the cold reality that winter was serving for dessert. Just before Mac's finger enclose around the door handle, Stella stops his actions, prompting his warm blue eyes to look over at her once again.

"Thank you for dinner Mac," Stella whispers as she leans in closer; taking a chance to offer him something more than a mere verbal accolade; her lips resting on his cheek, flooding his very being with warmth and passion. And although the kiss only lasts a few seconds and his lips weren't even the lucky recipient, his brain ensures that he'll now fall asleep with her scent on his face; his heart longing for something a bit more substantial in the long run.

"You're welcome," he murmurs in return, his warm breath sending small shivers down her spine; a feeling that would trump even the coolest breath from nature itself. Stella holds his gaze a few seconds longer; daring the moment to last but once again offering a silent curse as a few comments from patrons mentioning they need to pass, break the moment between them.

"Sleep well tonight," Stella tries as her hand rests on his, giving it one last loving squeeze and forcing the other hand to long for even a brief snippet of skin on skin.

"You too," he offers in return as he finally holds the door open, trying to shield her body from the new onslaught of rain and wind as he escorts her to a waiting cab, not caring about his wellbeing. He whispers an _'I'll see you tomorrow,'_ being rewarded with a warm smile and then hurries to his own golden chariot, his apartment his final stop for the night. The fact that his mind now dwells on his evening with Stella; his brain replaying and reliving every glorious second, ensures that tonight his dreams should be pleasant and not the tormented affair they were the night before when Felix Reite took center stage for the better part of his sleeping adventure.

Mac reaches his apartment, a bit physically exhausted but still mentally alert; his brain wishing that he was coming home to enjoy a romantic interlude before bed, instead of just catching the sports highlights or perhaps enjoying a brief nightcap to end the evening.

He glances at a picture of him and Stella on his fridge and smiles. "Thank you for tonight," he whispers, placing his finger to his lips and then allowing it to rest for a few seconds on her face; a silent kiss, one he was unable to offer her in return when they were at the restaurant.

His mind drifts back to victim number two and the discussion that he and Stella had with the grieving widow; his body still tightening as his brain forces him to relive those painful moments.

_'I never told him I loved him this morning Detective Taylor.'_

_'I'm sure he knew.'_

_'But I never said it. Why would one just assume something so important as love?'_

And she was right; love and feelings that dwell upon the heart are sentiments that need to be verbalized, not kept locked away under a shell that he gloats is impenetrable. _'Could have been you Mac...'_ Stella's tormented tone pulls him back from his musings, his mind now wondering what it would actually be like to offer her those words.

"You need sleep," he lightly commands himself as he finally turns off the final light; walking toward his bedroom in the dark. But as soon as he flips on his light, an image of himself, crudely bound and bloodied with Felix Reite looming over his helpless frame is displayed and his heart explodes.

_'Help me...'_ the lifeless body calls to him for help.

_'You're next Taylor!'_ Felix taunts as the knife plunges into the image once again; a horrified gasp escaping from Mac's lips as the image quickly fades and he's left alone in the tormented stillness of his bedroom. With an angry curse and not wanting Felix to once again dominate his thoughts, Mac quickly changes, heading back into the living room and flipping on the TV to drown out the howling from the storm outside; another assault from an invisible foe.

He looks at the phone, so desperate to call Stella; knowing that just hearing even one second of her melodious voice would put his mind and heart at ease. But he also knows it's not fair to just burden her when he has a problem, knowing he never just picks up the phone to call and say hello, just because he was thinking of her. _Do it, call her! _His brain commands.

"I need to see if she got home okay," Mac justifies as he reaches for the phone, quickly dialing her number and praying her voice will force Felix's demented laughter out of his weary brain.

_"Mac?"__ Stella asks in wonder. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" _

He was right, telling himself this time I told you so was sheer delight; her voice making Felix disappear and his apartment the have of solitude it once did.

"Just wanted to make sure you got home okay," he answers in half truth.

_"I did thank you. And did you survive?"_

"Surprisingly yes," he adds with a slightly nervous chuckle; a tone not lost on the discerning ears of his partner.

_"You okay? You sound umnervous?"_

"No, I'm fine," he answers in haste; another rushed confession that she's quick to call him on.

_"Are you alone?"_

"Always," he states glumly.

_"Mac?"_

"Just lingering nightmares Stella, nothing to worry about."

_"Felix?"_

"Is locked away and I refuse to allow him to rob me of...well anything that he might take delight in doing. Even sleep."

_"Want me to come over?" She asks in concern._

He thinks about her statement. Of course he wants her to come over; he wants to be with her every second of every day, unable to get enough of her smile, her laughter, her musical voice and her very presence that drives him crazy. But if he selfishly asked her to brave the elements just to have her sleep on the couch because he was afraid of a few harmless nightmares, he knows he'd mentally crucify himself and there would be no hope of anything further.

_"Mac?"__ Stella presses._

"No, I'm okay. I don't want you to..."

_"You would for me," she rightly counters._

"I just needed to hear your voice, I'm okay. Really," he tries to insist, his unoccupied hand curled tightly into a nervous fist. His brain shows him her image before him; dressed only in a sleep shirt, her tempting body calling to him for some sexual attention; an act he'd willingly perform without hesitation. But as he gives his head a slight shake her image fades and his shadow is the only thing keeping him company once again.

_"Mac?" _

"Sleep well Stella. I'm sorry if I woke you."

_"You know you never need to say sorry for that right? And I will only hang up if you tell me you are going to get some real sleep."_

"I promise I will," Mac rewards her kind efforts with a heartfelt sentiment. After finally saying goodnight; the image of her beautiful face, coupled with the soft mindless chatter from the TV in the background, ensure that Mac finally falls asleep in the chair that has now apportioned itself to his frame; used more often than his bed for sleeping in; Felix's nightmares kept at bay once again by Stella's musical voice; her words even able to drown out the pounding thunder from the storm outside.

XXXXXXXX

Getting up and ready for work the next morning; despite the cruel storm outside was easier for Stella than she first thought. When Mac had called, his voice was filled with veiled panic; fright no doubt caused by images his mind was seeing of himself, dying at Felix Reite's hands. But when she hung up, his mood had lifted considerably and she too was able to get some much needed rest; hurrying into the lab with a slight spring in her step; a feeling that even the angriest expression from nature itself wasn't able to dampen.

She walks past his office, notices him embroiled in a tense discussion with Sheldon, no doubt about some new evidence connecting Felix Reite to their latest case. She dumps her coat and then heads back to Mac's office.

"Morning," he offers warmly as Sheldon had already taken his leave. "Sleep well?"

"I should be asking you that?"

"You did yesterday," he counters with a slight frown. "But I did, thanks to you."

"That's what I'm here for Mac," she utters in truth; her eyes locking with his and offering a whispered sentiment that extended beyond the safe confines of friendship; an unspoken invitation for something more than a goodnight over the phone?

"What did Sheldon find?" Stella is quick to inquire; seeing Flack heading toward them and wanting to spare Mac any kind of emotional embarrassment; although she suspects, that out of everyone, maybe aside from Jessica, Flack suspects they are starting to develop a new understanding between them; a romantic notion that neither dare to take public as of yet.

"The knife patterns and slash markings are the same as the other's we found; this is the handiwork of Felix Reite. The brand of knife is identical."

"So Felix has an assistant."

"Speaking of the devil," Flack interrupts them; hovering in the doorway and forcing both CSI's to turn in his direction. "He wants a deal."

"Pardon?" Mac asks in disbelief.

"What does he have?" Stella pipes up.

"The name of his accomplice, or so he claims. But there is a catch."

"Always is," Stella groans.

"I can't take away the notion of life without parole," Mac confirms.

"He wants to tell Mac in person."

"What?" Stella's turn to ask in shock.

"Apparently he doesn't like me as much," Flack shakes his head. "Go figure."

Mac looks past Stella, his eyes fixing themselves outside, his brain already wondering what the road conditions to Rikers Island are like. She offers a slight shake of her head, her brain screaming to him to stay put and not even contemplate such a fools notion. However, when she sees him turn to Flack, she knows her worst fears have been confirmed.

"Mac, you have got to be serious. Are you actually considering this?"

"Is this a serious confession?" Mac asks Flack.

"Apparently Felix thinks it is."

"Mac?"

"To stop this senseless carnage? You're damn right I am considering it," Mac growls as he turns to leave, Flack standing in his way.

"Mac it's like Hurricane Katrina out there, you can't go right now. It'll keep until morning," Flack tries.

"And if his accomplice kills again tonight? You want to live with that?" Mac argues, Stella offering a whispered curse to his back. "If the roads were impassible I'd have an excuse, I want this guy and I am not going to let a few unruly waves or gusts of wind stop me from visiting him. I'm going."

"Fine, then I'm going with you," Stella pipes up.

"I can't vouch for your safety, besides Rikers isn't..."

"I'm not going to go and talk to him with you; I'll wait in the Warden's office, but you are not going there alone," she insists.

"Don can come with me."

"Actually I can't. I got Hardenbrook's arraignment to deal with. Sinclair nailed my ass on that one."

"There is no argument here Mac, I'm coming with you and that's final."

"Next time, tell me in private," Mac hisses at Don as he pushes past and disappears into the hallway.

"Sorry," Flack frowns as he looks at Stella in concern. "I know he's just concerned."

"I know he is too. But you did the right thing," she tries to assure him. "Trust me you would have felt more wrath than Hurricane Katrina if you had let Mac go out there alone and something happened to him and I didn't know or found out later."

"And if something happens to both of you?"

"Then you can say I told you so," she retorts and he just shakes his head in disbelief. "Nothing is going to happen to us. That place is like Fort Knox."

"Stella..."

"We'll call on the way back."

"And you get after Mac for being stubborn?" Flack groans.

"Who on earth do you think I learned my bad habits from?" Stella counters.

"I'll have the national guard standing by just in case, trust me that road could get washed out."

"Mac is a good driver," she utters, trying to convince herself that some truth resides in those few simple words. She reaches the elevator at the same time as Mac, feeling his tension threatening her personal space. "Mac?"

"Stella I don't want you to come."

"I am not letting you go out there alone."

"It's not a place for women," Mac insists.

"Rikers Island has a prison for...why the hell am I justifying this to you," Stella grumbles as the elevator starts to take them to the basement level. "Felix Reite threatened you and I am not letting you go and see him alone."

"Do you know how many guards he'll have in the room?"

"Why are you still arguing with me?" Stella wonders as they reach the drivers side of the Avalanche.

With another whispered curse, offered in the name of his stubborn partner, Mac finally gets into the drivers side of the crossover vehicle and then starts it up, his heart rate starting to rise with the same momentum as the engine. Mac exits the underground parking lot, the vehicle once again being instantly assaulted by heavy winds and strong rains.

He briefly swivels to the left, catching his partner's worried glance and then turning back; once again not wanting to show her any kind of outward display of apprehension or fear. Although inside his mind and heart were starting to feel the ill effects of his brain showing him images of their demise at the hand of the cruel elements.

Although he knows the route to Rikers very well, Mac still programs in the address, the GPS showing them the best way to the Francis Buono Bridge; Rikers Island Prison their intended destination. With the wind the strength it is, Mac's ears pick up a few muffled gasps from Stella as he sometimes struggles to keep the Avalanche on the straight and narrow path ahead.

"You know only a fool would venture out in this weather. Mac what if this is a wild goose chase? He knows the weather, he's probably put a hex on the bridge or something."

"Didn't think you were superstitious Stella," Mac comments.

"Humor me Mac," Stella grumbles as she keeps her nervous eyes on the road ahead. They finally reach Queens, the only area that houses the entrance and exit to Rikers Island; the Buono Bridge still ahead. Mac feels his heart rate starting to increase as his eyes fix on the flashing amber caution lights ahead; telling them that only a damned fool would risk tempting fate by crossing the tempestuous waters of the raging East River.

Not seeing anyone else coming toward them, Mac heads for the middle lane, the speed slow and deliberate, his fingers wrapped around the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles hurt and within a few minutes has to somewhat relax them or face new consequences.

Mac feels the truck slightly veering to the left, the deadly waves lapping onto the road, pulling back with force and hoping to take the unsuspecting couple with it; its gaping mouth ready to digest the two brave fools.

"Mac!" Stella gasps once more as Mac struggles to put the Avalanche back on course. The crossover has weight in its favor, but even Mac knows that if the storm does indeed pick up strength as predicted the ride home could be the true test of their nerves.

Although only three quarters of a mile long; the Buono Bridge seems to span for eternity; Mac not caring about the slow pace as long as it keeps them in the middle lane and away from the deadly tentacles of the East River. The wind continues to whip around the black vehicle; the lone traveler being watched by merciless eyes. Mac hears a distinct groaning and then looks at Stella in a panic.

"Mac, this bridge sounds like..."

"It'll hold," Mac tries to assure her; not believing the lie himself.

"One part is being repaired," Stella utters. "I think it only has a few floating wooden platforms holding it..."

"Trust me tonight we'll make it," Mac tries again. "And if not and if we are stuck there until the storm clears, I'll make it up to you."

"Hope springs eternal," Stella retorts in sarcasm.

Mac's lips offer a slight smirk as they finally come to a stop on the other side of the Buono Bridge; another loud crash of thunder rattling the fiberglass hull; laughing at the puny humans in its way. A few more claps of thunder rumble overhead, reminding them to get to their destination, get their business done and get home before the darkness takes over and unleashes its evil minions.

"Is that..." Stella starts as small flakes of snow now start to reveal themselves. "Snow. It's trying to be."

"I thought you liked winter."

"Winter in Manhattan yes; ice skating at Rockefeller center; making snow angels in Central Park and sharing a cup of hot chocolate beside a fireplace indoors. Talking to a man who likes to carve up bodies that resemble my partner in the middle of Hurricane Satan is not my ideal picture of winter!" Stella shoots back with a hint of disdain in her voice.

"I'll remember that when we get back," Mac notes.

"Which part?"

"All of it; it all sounds fun."

"Ever done any of those things?" Stella asks, hoping that her foray into a topic other than the weather will lift her mood even a millimeter.

"No, but I think I'd like to," Mac confesses in truth, Stella looking at him in warm surprise.

"Shall I hold you to that statement?"

"Think you'd like that?" Mac counters and her lips purse. "Trust me Stella, I'm going to go in, get the name from Felix Reite and be at your side in less than a half hour. I don't want to stay here longer than I have to."

Mac stops the Avalanche just outside the Eric Taylor Center; the holding facility that houses sentenced adult males but whose holding faculty was vacant and available for the noted serial killer who already has a room waiting inside the confining walls of Taylor Center.

"This place gives me the creeps," Stella mutters as she hurries beside Mac, the daunting entrance the maximum security facility beckoning the unsuspecting visitors. Once inside, Stella feels her paranoia starting to garner the same strength as the storm as various eyes of male eyes turn and lock onto the frame of the beautiful woman gracing their presence.

Mac feels Stella stiffen in place beside him and as he locks eyes with one interested prison guard, feels his inner male jealousy starting to take over his normally rash intellect. He narrows his gaze, daring the other male challenger to make a move; but inside is grateful when the other competitor offers a slight sneer and then turns away.

"I will be fine," Stella whispers as her fingers gently brush one of Mac's hardened fists.

"Right," Mac replies in a hushed tone, his mind still swimming with anxiety at leaving her alone with a group of strange men in an unforgiving facility.

"Warden Lewis Miller," Mac asks as he signs in; stepping aside and allowing Stella to do the same.

"I'm Prison Captain Stanley Jensen," a man about Flack's height comes forward. "I spoke with Detective Don Flack this morning, right after Felix Reite said he had information that would warrant a deal."

"Felix Reite is heading to death row," Mac states firmly.

"Only if the state doesn't do it's job," the low grumble belonging to the voice of Warden Lewis Miller is heard from behind. "Welcome to hell Detective's..."

"Taylor and Bonasera," Mac offers. "I was invited to see Felix Reite."

"I'll need you to check your side arm before you see Reite," Warden Miller instructs.

"I know," Mac counters, as he looks past the large man before him, his eyes once again committing to memory all the faces watching the duo intently.

"Gotta ask Detective Taylor; giving that all hell is breaking loose outside, why on earth didn't you wait until Morning?" Warden Miller asks when the power flickers overhead; another reminder that the storm outside will have the last laugh.

"Because if this ends tonight, a dry cleaning bill will be a small price to pay," Mac replies. "You have backup power just in case right?"

"Small comfort if the generator house is taken out by the storm," Warden Miller offers in sarcasm.

"Can I see him now?" Mac queries with a hint of impatience in his tone.

"Yeah fine. Detective Bonasera, I doubt you'll want to accompany your partner into that holding cell."

"I am not afraid of Felix Reite, Warden."

"Your partner should be."

"I'm not," Mac growls.

"Detective Bonasera can wait in my office or waiting room if she'd like. Jensen you want to take Detective Taylor to see our special guest."

"Sure," Jensen nods to Mac to follow after him.

Mac takes Stella aside, his fingers gently clutching her elbow, but applying just enough pressure to signal in her brain that his actions are more than just a professional courtesy.

"I don't intend to be longer than about fifteen, twenty minutes most. If he's just playing around, I'll be back and we'll call it a night. Keep your side arm close and don't hesitate..."

"Mac?"

"Just a feeling Stella."

"I hate when you have those feelings," Stella lightly groans.

"Me too. Be right back."

"Mac."

"Yeah?"

"Watch your back. Around here I'm not the one these guys are looking at."

"Trust me, no matter where _you _go that's always the case," he adds softly, his lips slightly curling. However, as soon as he pulls away, his face is back to the professional picture it was when he walked in; his heart racing the further away from his partner he gets.

"Come with me Detective Bonasera," Warden Miller instructs.

Stella watches Mac slowly walking down the dimly lit hallway; her fists curling and her stomach tightening as she listens to various male cat calls, whistles, lewd comments and unacceptable speech.

"Jensen will take care of your partner," Warden Miller tells her, forcing Stella's eyes to turn back to his, a frown being offered.

Mac keeps his eyes fixed firmly ahead; having been in places like this before, and not wanting to justify any of the attention being wrongly directed toward him. A few make his stomach want to involuntarily give up it's contents, but his facial expression remains unamused and unchanged, not wanting to show any sort of human weakness to the inhuman miscreants on either side of him.

Mac watches Jensen nod to one of the other Prison Guards, who buzzes them through the first set of barred doors, sealing him inside the belly of the steel beast. He reaches the holding cell that contains Felix Reite and instantly feels his adrenaline starting to build momentum; his anxiety on edge so that even the faintest whisper, forces his eyes in another direction.

"Don't worry Detective Taylor, you won't be in there alone. Lieutenant Chang has your back," Captain Jensen tries to assure him. "And I can see and hear everything."

"I just need a name and then I'll gladly take my leave," Mac huffs as he once again signs a visitors register. He leaves his coat outside; his side arm still waiting at the front entrance, his partner tucked away inside the Warden's office; the storm building to a deadly strength just outside.

Mac slowly pushes the door open, locking eyes with the devil himself as he makes his presence known.

"Welcome to Taylor manor," Felix Reite greets Mac with a mock bow. "If I didn't know the history of this god forsaken place, I would swear that the city named it after it's big shot cop," he laughs as he pushes back another strand of black greasy hair; his nicotine stained fingers extending a gesture for Mac to sit opposite him. "Doubt you'd feel at home in a place like this."

"Cut the crap Felix. You have a name and I want it."

"Please sit awhile. Why just rush off?"

"Not in the mood for idle chit chat."

"Don't you want to ask me why?" Felix asks as he leans back in his chair and gazes at Mac with an evil glint in his dark eyes.

"Why what?"

"Why I do what I do," Felix pauses. "And _enjoy_ it?"

"I know why and I don't care."

"Oh I'm special Detective Taylor."

"You can delude yourself all you want Felix, in the end all you'll be remembered as is a petty criminal. Common actually."

"THERE IS NOTHING COMMON ABOUT ME!" Felix shouts as one of his tattooed fists slams down on the table, forcing Mac's body to involuntarily shudder and the guard behind Felix to flinch; his fingers automatically going for his concealed sidearm.

"You asked me here for a reason Felix, stop wasting my time!" Mac growls.

"Does your mind ever conjure their screams Taylor? Ever see your own face at my hands; helpless and alone," Felix starts to goad once more; his questions starting to slowly dig under Mac's tight defenses, rendering his mind helpless to the images that Felix wants him to see. "Ever wonder when you look down at them why they all sort of look the same?"

"Felix..."

"In fact...you know now that I look at you..." he stops once more, his lips curling into a darkened grin. "There is a similar resemblance. Want to know why?"

"I will not play your game Felix. If you don't give me what I want..."

"Did you remember what I said?" Felix wonders as his newly folded hands slide closer to Mac, his lithe frame bending forward over the table with ease; Mac's tense posture slowly pulling back, ensuring his personal space stays in tact. "Oh I don't bite," Felix mocks. "Not my thing," he finishes with a wink.

"Listen..."

"Now back to my question. Do you remember what I said in the warehouse before your partner so rudely interrupted us? That is a very annoying habit of hers," Felix states with a serious expression. "Interrupting us. I'm glad she won't get the chance again," Felix finishes with a tone that reverberates to the core of Mac's very soul, his brain calling _'Stella'_ automatically; a gesture of fright and comfort. However, not willing to show that the serial killer's words are having any affect on him at all, Mac pastes on his tight frown and continues.

"You can sit there with a smug expression all you want Felix. You'll never see the light of day again, I swear to you that much right now!"

"You know who else won't see the light of day?" Felix continues to stall for time.

"A name Felix or I'm leaving right now and I'll plug you into the damn chair myself," Mac snaps in anger.

"You know you are feisty," Felix laughs as he pulls back, allowing his frame to rest idly. "I like that. You know who else was feisty also?"

"Tell me what I want to know and you'll see a side you wish you hadn't."

"Oh really?" Felix arches a twisted brow. "Do tell," he smiles as the power flickers. "But do tell before the power goes out. Tell me, are you afraid of the dark Detective Taylor? I'm not. I like the dark, but then evil always does."

"Guard!" Mac shouts and Felix just offers an audible huff and rolls his eyes.

"Fine Detective Taylor. What's it worth to you."

"Life."

"Yours or mine?" Felix counters as he leans in closer, his eyes measuring Mac in a way that sends more than a few nervous shivers down his spine. "Because I think your life is worth a lot more than a name. Don't you agree?"

"I'll give you to the count of..." Mac starts when fate decides it's finally time to intervene.

The loud grumble outside starts to build strength; gathering thunderous momentum before it crashes down on the small island with all of nature's fury; unleashing it's minions without remorse.

A large crash is heard outside; a few whispered gasps, curses and shouts before the power flickers once more. The building shakes from the pounding outside; no one really knowing the damage done or that the only escape route now take out by the unseen strength of a Poseidon-like force that had been knapping in the East River.

Another loud clap is heard and then...

Darkness...

* * *

**A/N:** Please leave me a note before you go if you want and if you want to flame why are you reading? Thanks to the rest.

**PS**: Just created a new M rated one shot called (Who says Housework...) hopefully you like it also!


	4. Welcome to Hell

**Title: Escape from Rikers Island  
****Chapter 4 - Welcome to Hell**

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The moments leading up the massive power outage, Stella had felt her nervous anxiety starting to build. Warden Miller would be keeping his distance but every so often, he'd cast a glance in her direction, his eyes lingering on areas a seasoned professional and married man shouldn't be looking; outside of a doctor doing a personal exam and forcing her frame to slightly recoil, praying for any kind of shield that his gaze would not be able to penetrate. No such shield existed.

Always maintaining her distance, she only listens half heartedly as Warden Miller rattles on about Felix Reite and how his presence might affect the current population in certain areas.

"What else do you think Reite is going to tell your partner?"

"We think that Reite has an assistant of sorts."

"An assistant? Last thing this city needs is another knife-toting asshole looking for his fifteen minutes of glory."

"Well if Felix gives Mac the name then there will be one less knife-toting asshole you'll have to hear from," Stella retorts, forcing the large man to look back at her with an amused expression.

"Bit of a spitfire ain't ya?" He chuckles.

Stella looks at him but says nothing further, not wanting to fuel another further discussion with a man who obviously is only humoring her, his snide-full snippets telling her that, like a lot of other males, her time could be better spent elsewhere. Being in his presence only served to cement the respect that Mac always assigned her; treating her as his equal in most matters and even when he had to exercise his authority, always did so knowing she'd have his respect and trust when all was settled.

"What's it like working with Taylor?"

"Eventful," Stella mutters as she looks past Warden Miller into the darkness that is rapidly descending upon them. _Hurry Mac, _her brain begs in silent torment as her brain starts to compute what the ride back to the other side of civilization will really be like.

"Yeah well he'll amuse Reite. Just his type."

"Pardon? What the hell does that mean?" Stella demands, trying to keep her anger at bay. _Just his type?__ What the hell?_

"I've seen pictures of his victims Detective Bonasera, so don't play me for a fool. You know _exactly_ what I am talking about. I wonder if he's worried," he offers a sinister grin, his eyes once again offering a look that makes her skin start to crawl. Stella turns and glances down the hall that would lead toward the area her partner was at the moment; his fists balling and her mind telling her temper to keep itself in check.

_Mac, I hope you don't give him anything, _her brain ponders as another loud clap of thunder forces her to stop her absent pacing, her body feeling the thunderous vibrations through the thick walls; Warden Miller's low chuckle adding to her foreboading paranoia. _Hurry Mac...please hurry, _her mind begs as the power flickers once more.

"Damn storm," she lightly curses.

"Our generator is pretty solid."

"And the prisoners?"

"We have two generators. Most prisoners are in general lockdown right now so if the main power was to fail, the majority would be kept in their cells."

"And the rest?" Stella inquires.

"Don't lose your gun," Miller snides.

"Comforting," Stella retorts with a dry tone as she looks back at the door to the hallway that would lead her to her beloved partner. "Hurry Mac."

"Felix won't give him what he wants so easily. He'll make him _beg_ for it."

"Mac Taylor begs _no one _for _anything_," Stella shoots back, a touch of venom in her tone. "If he doesn't get what he wants on _his terms_, Felix will find himself on death row and we'll get what we need the old fashioned way."

"We'll see," Miller lightly goads. "I guess it depends on how badly your stubborn partner wants _justice_."

Stella knows that justice is the one thing that Mac values just as much as loyalty and would do anything _except _bend the rules to obtain; however, she also knows that he'd never give Felix Reite the satisfaction of seeing him beg so now she wonders what kind of cat and mouse game her beloved partner is having to endure. _Mac, you better hurry, _her mind begs again another thunder clap rocks the windows once more.

"Damn it..." Stella utters with a soft gasp.

But just before the power goes out, Stella's eyes, which had been lightly surveying the office, rest upon something out of place. _What on earth? _Her mind asks in shock. Under a stack of papers, sitting unwrapped, was what looked like the exact kind of knife that Felix Reite used to carve up his victims, the very knife that they suspected Felix's accomplice was using to continue Felix's gruesome artistry. The victims that had a scary resemblance to her now absent partner.

"Where did you get th..." Stella starts as the whole room shakes and then is quickly engulfed in darkness.

XXXXXXXX

"Anything?" Jessica asks as she wanders into the small break room, handing Flack a cup of coffee and forcing him to look at her with a weak frown.

"Mac should have called by now," Flack offers with a slight grimace as he takes the cup and then looks back outside. "It's getting dark and the weather is getting worse. Damn it, I shouldn't have told him!"

"You know that only would have pissed Mac off."

"Better him pissed than him dead," Flack retorts.

Jessica's hand rests on his shoulder and gives it a slight squeeze. "Come on we have a few files to finish and then you'll call Warden Miller."

"Right," Flack replies as he follows after Jessica into the main room, heading for his desk. He hears some angry cursing and looks up to see Veteran Detective John 'Sully' Sullivan come in, a large gust of watery wind pushing his large frame easily in the door.

"Who the hell turned on the water out there?" Sully's angry voice bellows as he stomps past Flack and Jessica, tossing his rain soaked coat onto a nearby chair, just as their power also flickers. "Not in here too?" He moans.

"Been doing that for the past half hour," Flack mentions as Sully looks up at him in wonder.

"Well at least if it goes out we only have a few losers to deal with; sucks to be Warden Miller right about now."

"Why?" Jessica asks in haste.

"Ah news hasn't reached here yet, Rikers was just hit; whole island is black."

"What?" Flack manages weakly as he quickly grabs for his phone.

"Don't worry emergency power is still working. City has given it it's top priority to fix."

"Screw the power," another officer pipes up, one phone glued to a cell phone as his fingers reach for the nearest TV. "Apparently the part of the bridge they were replacing was just washed out also. Whoever is on that Island is now trapped."

"WHAT?"

XXXXXXXX

From the time the power flickered and the earth rumbled to just before the blackout, Mac had felt his anxiety almost reach it's pinnacle, something was about to happen. However, he had expected Felix to make a move; not for the whole room to be bathed in pitch black.

Felix's evil cackle started to fill the suffocating space as Mac scrambled backward in the darkness; losing his balance and then crashing to the floor. His ears picked up a bloodcurdling scream just as the backup generator finally roared to life; bathing the occupants in the now, unlocked and unsecured room in a deathly orange glow.

Mac's eyes quickly adjusted but just as he was about to lock onto Felix's position; his brain frantically reminding him that he needs to ensure Felix is contained, he feels two hands grabbing his feet and looks down to see Felix looking up at him with an evil smile.

"Told you I'd get my second chance," Felix sneers as one hand leaves Mac's foot and then produces a deadly looking knife now covered with fresh blood. Since his brain didn't send any shock waves of pain, Mac looks at him in anger and wonder.

"Guard...femoral. And you're next," Felix licks his lips as he brings the knife down toward Mac's thigh a few seconds later.

Without hesitation, Mac quickly twists himself out of Felix's grasp, managing to get his other foot free and rolling out of the way just as the crimson stained piece of steel digs into the floor. Mac's foot connects with Felix's face, snapping the serial killer's face back in pain, Mac able to pull himself out of harms way just as another slash with his name on it, misses by only a few inches, tearing open the fabric of his dress pants.

"GUARD!" Mac gasps just as Felix pounces, slamming Mac back to the ground on his stomach, winding him temporarily.

"Time to die Detective," Felix laughs.

His fingers latch onto Mac's wounded arm, digging into the fresh stitching that Dr. Adams had so diligently applied the day before. Mac let's out a yelp of pain as he feels warm sludge starting to trickle down his arm, and now curses himself for only applying a small band aide, which in his time of need offers no help or further protection.

But with his own grisly demise dancing before his eyes, Mac brings his elbow up, catching Felix in the side of the face just as he hears the door to his right starting to open.

"This isn't over Taylor," Felix hisses as he quickly rolls of Mac; punching him in the side. "We will get this moment back."

"You will...lose," Mac snaps in anger; his ears forcibly drinking in the sickening laughter of the man struggling to get free of his tiring grasp.

Mac grabs his foot, forcing Felix back to his knees but feeling his head snapping back in pain, his lip busting open as the bottom of Felix's prison boot connects with his face, his hold on the killer lost. Mac hears the door being opened behind him, but scrambles after Felix, who much to his dismay and surprise, gets through another unlocked door and disappears from view.

"Felix!" Mac shouts as he pushes himself up and rushes after him, unarmed; yanking the door open and then squinting into the darkness before him; no emergency lights on inside the hallway. "Damn it!" He curses; his lips offering another soft yelp as the firm hand of Prison Captain Jensen gives him a tug back.

"If he's armed and you can't see, you don't want to follow."

"Where the hell does that door lead?" Mac demands as he heads back into the small holding area with Jensen; quickly wiping away the fresh blood from his mouth.

"Outside and I have just radioed my men; he won't get far in this weather. Besides these doors are designed so that you can get out but you can't get back in, even in cases like this. He'll walk into a trap; trust me he's as good as caught."

"You don't know Felix Reite. Until I see him behind bars I don't believe you," Mac growls as he looks down at the dead body, forgetting the fact that his dress shirt and jacket now have outward displays of fresh blood; the appearance being his own injuries. He looks at Jensen and then heads for the door.

"Where are you going?" Jensen inquires.

"To get my partner and then to get Felix Reite," Mac answers before he rushes back into the hallway, ignoring the frenzy going on on either side of him; frantic guards trying to keep the inner peace while outer chaos still rages on. Mac hears Jensen shouting his name from behind, but all his mind and heart can tell him is, '_get to Stella,' _pushing everything else to the back for now.

Remembering that Stella was in the Warden's office Mac makes a sharp right but then stops suddenly, his anger surging once again as he spies his partner engaged in a small struggle with an escaped male prisoner. Mac rushes toward them, yanking the man back before he can do any further damage, freeing Stella from the man's grasp. The prisoner struggles in Mac's hands, landing a soft blow to Mac's tender ribs but being stopped for good by a hard blow to the back of the head by Stella. Mac lets the man's body crumple to the ground, the accompanying clattering of the pipe on the floor beside him, a resounding reminder of the help he just received.

"Good timing," she lightly pants.

"You okay?" Mac asks with a slight wince as he quickly scans the area around them to see if any other surprises were waiting.

"I'm fine," Stella assures him. "Are you okay? Mac?" Stella asks in haste, turning Mac's face back to her and then cursing at the fresh blood on his chest. She spies the dried blood around his mouth but knows that with a dozen male onlookers, any public display of affection or attention might warrant him comments best left for a private setting; so biting back her dismay she only gazes at his chest as she hands him a cloth from her pocket. "Your lip is bleeding."

"Felix killed the guard, he had a knife. Damn it Stella, someone left one in that room for..."

"Mac, what if..." her voice dies out as her brain flashes her images of his bloody corpse.

"We have to find him before..."

"I think I know where he might have gotten the knife," Stella tries to tell him just as Warden Miller and Captain Jensen rush to their sides; stopping her from telling her partner her suspicions.

"You might need this," Jensen huffs as he shoves Mac's gun into his waiting hand.

"How bad is it?"

"Just got a call from the outside tower that the part of the bridge the City was working on has collapsed; no one is driving off this island," Warden Miller informs them. "We're trapped."

"And the other buildings?" Mac inquires.

"Towers are taking a pounding and I have ordered the men outside into safety. As or the other facilities, much like this one; most of the inmates were in their cells for lockdown when the storm started to pound us; but a few are still lose, including Felix Reite," Jensen groans as his partner Lieutenant Roger Neill rushes toward them; sporting a fresh bruise to his left cheek.

"The natives are very restless," he states with anger as he looks at Mac. "You okay?"

"Blood belongs to Chang; Felix Reite took him out," Jensen informs his partner. "He had no chance."

"How the hell did he get a knife?" Mac demands, looking from Warden Miller to Captain Jensen.

"I have no explanation; I swear I searched him before he went into that room," Jensen tries in his defense.

"Somewhere someone screwed up Jensen," Warden Miller's angry voice bellows. "I'll deal with that later, right now we have bigger problems."

"Felix Reite is loose on this island," Jensen groans as he looks up from his radio. "He got away from my men."

"What?" Mac asks in anger. "How the hell did your men..."

"My men..."

"Just got some added help," Mac interjects.

"They don't need it."

"I don't care."

"Detective Taylor, he has four hundred and thirteen acres to hide on and with this storm, trust me, we'll never find him until this damn thing breaks or he lets us. It's not worth it..."

"If he had a knife in here then you can be sure whoever supplied him that could also have something waiting for him to get off this island somewhere out there. Road would have been too obvious," Mac suggests.

"A boat?" Warden Miller asks in disbelief. "How is he going to get through the fence?"

"Someone on the inside is helping him," Mac insists. "Your job is to find out who."

"He'd be crazy to attempt the East River in this," Warden Miller grunts.

"He is crazy," Stella pipes up.

"I'm going after him," Mac declares as he checks his weapon.

"Speaking of crazy," Jensen counters. "You can't go out in this."

"Your duty is to protect the people in here, mine is to protect the people out there."

"My men can..."

"If they could do their job they'd have him already," Mac counters his face inches from Captain Jensen's.

"Are you suggesting..." Jensen starts.

"I'm not _suggesting _I'm stating a fact and I'm going to help them."

"Detective Taylor, going out there is a waste of your time."

"Standing here and arguing with you is a damn waste of my time! Now you can't arrest me for wanting to..."

"Kill yourself?"

"Do my job!" Mac growls in return.

"If we can't get off this island, than neither can he!" Jensen argues in return.

"Then he should be easy to find!"

"Detective Taylor..."

"Captain Jensen..."

"Gentlemen!" Stella snaps, forcing both to look at her in anger.

"There is no argument Jensen, I came here to talk to Felix and one way or another I will. If I have go out there alone then I'm going to do just that. But _I am_ going."

"You can't go alone," Warden Miller insists.

"He won't be going alone," Stella informs them, forcing all four men to look at her in shock. "And the first one to lecture me about the dangers of a few raindrops will be the first to feel _my _wrath. And trust me hell hath no fury..."

"Yeah we get it, damn you two," Jensen curses.

"Never argue with a woman, gentlemen," Mac smirks. "They are always right."

Silence is allowed to build for a few more seconds, the wind still continuing to whistle underneath the heavy doors, the thunder still pounding the structure, reminding all inner occupants who was still in control. Jensen looks at Mac and knows he's not about to back down; further cemented when Mac starts to button his suit jacket.

"Fine, I'll make sure this place is locked down and then I'll have a team come and join you. My first duty is to ensure safety in here."

"And I understand that. My du..."

"Yeah save me the duty lecture, I think I got you figured," Jensen frowns. "Let me get you two some slickers; might not make a huge different but it could help a little. I'll join you two as soon as I have everything in order in here," Jensen reaffirms as he hands Mac a spare walkie-talkie. "I have radioed every building and we are now on one single channel. They will be ready for him and it is shoot to kill for their part."

"He won't go there. He needs to get off this island."

"Just play it smart; no unnecessary risks," he tries to instruct, Stella offering Mac only a weak glance.

Mac finally takes her aside and looks at her in concern.

"I know what you are going to say," Stella starts in a low tone, fixing his jacket and then lightly cringing when her hands come away with a crimson twinge.

"Can you blame me? I don't even feel comfortable in this place."

"Remember what I said earlier," Stella lightly retorts and Mac just rolls his eyes. "Which is better Mac, watching your back? Or having no one to watch mine?"

"You cannot come with me. Stella, out there I can't guarantee..."

"Yeah and leaving me in here to wonder what the hell you have gotten yourself into out there, makes just as much sense," she frowns as she looks at her phone once more. "Phone service is still out," Stella reminds him in a glum tone.

"I doubt even the coast guard could cross the channel with in this weather."

"Mac, Felix can't get anywhere."

"I am going after him. Please stay here."

"You need someone to watch your back."

"Stella, someone left the same kind of knife in that room for him," Mac states in hushed anger. "He's armed and..."

"Are you even listening to yourself? He's armed and..."

"And so am I."

"He wants to kill you."

"He won't get the chance," Mac argues in return. "Damn it Stella."

"I think Warden Miller left him the knife," she whispers, her cheek nearly brushing his as she leans in to give him the piece of critical information; pulling back with a tense gaze.

"How the hell do you know that?" Mac demands.

"Saw the same kind in his office, not wrapped or tagged, just sitting there under a stack of papers. I know it couldn't have been the knife Felix just used because until the power went out he was with me the whole time and you said Felix attacked you with the same kind of knife. I heard a bang and we both rushed out; he locked the door behind him. It's just a feeling but..."

"I hate when you have those feelings."

"Means I'm usually right?" Stella arches a brow.

"You're usually right."

"So if I stay here, who do _I _trust? Do you trust any one here?"

"No. Damn it," Mac curses as he looks past her to Warden Miller who only offers him a slight nod. "And if we can't trust him?"

"Then we can only trust each other."

"You promise me one thing," Mac leans in a bit closer, the hand opposite the small gathering of men, gently brushing against hers behind a few folds of fabric; allowing her warmth to flood that part of his body. "No heroics."

"Should be my lecture," she offers lightly. "He threatened you Mac. I'll never let him have that chance again."

"Let's go find him," he tells her firmly; his mind never wavering on her skills or abilities, just on his worry and concern. And much like the look she gave him when she did her silent visual inspection, but saving him male gossip; he knows he has to also avoid an uncharacteristic display of emotional affection in this setting, the time for that would come. Now it was time to catch a monster at any cost.

XXXXXXXX

"Still can't get a hold of either of them," Jessica groans as she hangs up and looks at Flack with a worried expression.

"What the hell do you mean? Yes I have looked out side, but..." Flack's voice drowns out into an inaudible curse, just before he slams the phone down in anger. "He won't help."

"Hope so, because if that was a yes then you need to work on your people skills," Jessica mentions lightly and Flack's face softens a little. "What did he say?"

"Coast guard already tried to reach a stranded motorist whose car swerved into the raging waters of the East River and um...they didn't get them in time. Damn it," he curses, looking away with a deep frown. "At least Felix would be in lock up right?"

"Along with most of the inmates," Jessica ponders as Flack looks back at her with a worried expression. "They are okay."

"So as long as those back up generators hold and the storm subsides we can at least use the old ferry's they had before the bridge was built. I think the docking platform is still there."

"So now we wait," Jessica groans as she looks up to see Danny slowly walking toward them with a perplexed look.

"Not a good look for you Danny boy," Flack notes with a slight smirk.

"Mac back yet?"

"Bridge to Rikers is washed out, he and Stella are stranded."

"Nice."

"Yeah I'll bet Stella is really enjoying all the male attention," Jessica notes in sarcasm.

"Probably Mac is getting his fair share also," Flack adds.

"Yeah sucks to be them," Danny joins in. "I need some help."

"Does it require us going out there?" Flack wonders.

"No," Danny answers in haste.

"Then I'd be happy to help," Flack readily agrees, forcing Jessica to just shake her head in disbelief. "Judas Priest? Are you kidding me?"

"Wasn't that..." Jessica starts.

"Yeah our vic from this morning; we think he was killed by Felix Reite's accomplice, assistant or whatever," Danny frowns. "I ran his file but it came up with an NYPD classified tag. Can you open this file?"

"Classified? The guy's body was found this morning," Jessica mentions with sudden interest. "Who the hell would lock it?"

"Let's see...hey Sul what's your password for level 4?"

"What for?"

"Just tell me," Flack groans as Sully slowly carries his larger frame in Flack's direction.

"Who's file?" Sully asks, prompting Flack to swivel the screen in his direction. "Yeah nice name. Okay fine," Sully huffs as he quickly types in his password, unlocking the file for the four of them to see the rest of the screen.

"What the..."

"Hell?" Jessica finishes. "_Warden Miller _closed the file?"

"The Warden at Rikers?" Danny wonders. "He's our guy? Can't be, DNA wasn't a match to his. Came back unknown as of yet. Adam is still searching. But then why lock the file?"

"He's probably hiding something else or is connected to our guy," Jessica discusses as both her and Danny look at Flack; his facial expression turning from curiosity to horror. "We need his alibi...for what?" She queries. "What is that look Don?"

"Are you sure Felix Reite was in lock up?" Flack suddenly asks.

"Why?"

"Well Mac went there to talk to Felix right?"

"So?"

"So if Warden Miller is bad, who can Mac and Stella trust over there? Sully you gotta get me on that island!"

"We don't know for sure it's Miller. The DNA..." Danny tries in protest.

"I'm going. Sully!"

"Me?"

XXXXXXXX

"I really don't think this is a good idea," Jensen moans as he watches Mac and Stella zip up their slickers, guns ready; each of them already having a hidden backup just in case. "These walkie-talkie's are only short range and..."

"I only need one shot," Mac states angrily.

"You are not judge, jury and executioner Detective Taylor," Warden Miller growls; forcing Mac to look at him sharply. "Remember that."

"Fine, I'll arrest him and let you deal with him."

"Oh I will. But you break my rules and I'll deal with you as well."

"Then why don't you come with me and keep me in line?" Mac dares.

"Like hell. Just remember what I said," Miller sneers.

Jensen takes Mac by the elbow and gently pulls him aside, his face stern but his body tense and on edge. "You get that shot, you take it," he tells Mac in a low tone; an instruction for his ears alone. "We both know he's not planning on come back here alive."

"And your boss?"

"Trust me Mac, just take it. Do us both a favor."

Mac cocks his head but only offers a slight nod of understanding as he turns and looks over at Stella with a worried glance, his mind racing and his heart about to explode. _Stella is very capable in a fight, _his brain tries to reason as he gestures with his head and both of them slowly head for the large front doors.

"Taylor," Jensen calls back, forcing the Mac's fingers to ease back on the icy cold handle, turning back to the small group of worried men, decorated with black and a deathly orange glow from the back up lighting. "When you get out, head to the left, away from the water; there is a small guard house there. Two of my men, Jackson and Stackhouse will be waiting; they'll help in the search until I join you two."

"Appreciate it," Mac replies as he looks back at Stella with a nervous expression. "Ready?"

"You owe me big time for this," Stella answers wryly.

"When we get back you name your price," Mac promises as his ears listen to the howling wind calling to them with deadly whistles; his eyes trying to promise her a happy ending to all this madness. His Marine training forced him to realize he needed to shelve his fear, proceed into battle and bring down an evil enemy at all costs; what his years of training didn't ready him for was the person at his side, the person he feared to lose more than anything. Would that be his ultimate downfall?

Stella looks back, offers a soft nod but knows as she stares into his sapphire orbs for a few seconds that no such promise awaits; this will be a fight to the death.

"Let's go get him Mac."

* * *

**A/N:** good idea? Bad idea for our team? Let me know in a review and thanks again.

**PS:** Target updates next


	5. Force of Nature vs Will of Man

**Title: Escape from Rikers Island  
****Chapter 5 - Force of Nature vs Will of Man**

**A/N:** Once again a HUGE shout of THANKS to everyone who has reviewed and alerted so far! Truly means a lot and the muse offers a big smile to you all. Thanks so much and hope you all like this chapter and what else is to come. Now on with the story.

* * *

Praying for any kind of miracle, Mac slowly pulls the two heavy doors open; nature's fury once again reminding the two small humans that they are now the spectators in its deadly amusement park and that any wrong turn could be their last. Rain instantly soaks their faces, washing blood and dirt away from Mac's and forcing Stella's mascara to melt and run. She quickly wipes it away, thankful her hair is pulled up into a ponytail, but curses her boots and the fact she didn't bring her gloves; everything else still locked away inside Warden Miller's office.

Mac looks at her with a frown; being rewarded with a firm nod, his curse never reaching her ears; being carried away by the driving wind.

"TO...THE...LEFT!" Mac shouts over the howl; his eyes blinking more often than usual, hoping to keep his line of sight clear from even the small obstruction, watery or not. He offers Stella his hand; mostly for safety, but also for unspoken reassurance and starts to lead them in the direction he thinks help is waiting. He feels Stella's grasp around his fingers tighten and is glad it's just thunderous claps overhead that nature's fury is offering, the lightening seeming to have died down; at least for now.

Not caring about the rain starting to soak into his shoes, his frame still aching from his tumble with Felix and his arm throbbing from the stitching he knows is still dangling around the gaping wound; Mac tells himself he has to find him at any cost.

"THERE...IT...IS!" Stella shouts to Mac as she finally sees the faint orange glow from the emergency lights ahead of them; thankful that darkness is being kept at bay by the sporadic flashes of lightening and few emergency lights bobbing in the wind. A few more minutes of running in the sopping ground both of them reach the entrance to the small security shack, nearly soaked and breathing hard; the slickers keeping their upper bodies mostly dry.

Mac pulls out his gun and then looks at Stella with a grimace. He watches her pull her gun, nods and then helps him pull the door open; both their guns trained. Mac quickly looks inside and then stares in horror at another display of Felix Reite's handiwork; Jensen's men already dead.

"Damn it!" He yells in anger as Stella gently closes the door behind them; closing them inside with the two slashed guards.

"Jensen," Mac pulls his walkie-talkie.

"Talk me to Mac, whadda ya got?"

"Two more bodies. Sorry," Mac offers, his ears taking in an angry curse, his eyes locked with Stella's.

"Mac, look," Stella nods toward the back wall, where Felix left him a personalized love note in crimson red; crudely scrawled, but discernable nonetheless.

_'Next 1 will look like U Taylor!'_

"Bastard," Mac growls in anger as he carefully studies the room.

"Think he'll try to go back into one of the buildings?"

"No, he knows we'd have those covered and as soon as he steps foot into any of them he's as good as dead. He already killed that guard he knows there is no deal now and I am willing to bet he was just trying to screw around with us and..."

"He wanted you out here," Stella states in sudden realization. "But why?"

"Because I brought him in. We have to find him," Mac replies as he continues to study the walls around them. "He wants off this island and fast because he knows once full power is restored those powerful floodlight outside will bathe this place in light and he'll have less places to hide."

"You think he'd really attempt a crossing in this weather?"

"He's desperate Stella; tempt not a desperate man. A map is missing from the wall, the piece where..."

"Mac, that's the old dock," Stella finishes.

"He is trying to get off this island by boat," Mac adds. "Stella, we have to stop him, we catch him in the act and it's all over."

"Yeah for who?"

"I want you to stay here?"

"Like hell," she tells him.

"Stella..."

"Mac I am coming with you and there is no argument. Let's go, the sooner we catch this guy the sooner we can get back and figure out what is really going on around here and what kind of part Warden Miller really does play if any."

"Right now, I'm also suspecting Captain Jensen. He was the last one to see Felix before I went in there and he was probably the one in charge of prepping the room. If Felix has the connections we suspect, it would take only one phone call and Jensen gets a nice payout."

"But why Mac? Even if he didn't kill the guard; he kills you in that room and then what? Killing a cop? He'd get the death sentence for sure."

"Unless nature just sped up what man already had planned," Mac ponders.

"Felix was going to use _you_ as his escape attempt."

"Without my visit, he'd have no reason to be in that unlocked room; away from general population and jail cell that would be a lot harder to spring him from than a room with one locked door and one open one; a boat waiting to take him to the city where he could hide for as long as needed."

"Think he had this planned?"

"I think he had plan B waiting just in case. Thunder has stopped; at least for now."

"Thank God," Stella breathes. "Maybe the storm is going to slow also."

"Ready?" Mac tries with a weak frown as he heads for the door. However, when Stella beats him to it, he can do little more than shake his head, pull his hood back up and offer his hand one more time. "As much as I hate to admit this, I am glad you're here to watch my back."

"I should be getting hazard pay for this," she retorts and his lips slightly curl; his hand offering her a powerful flashlight from one of the fallen guards. Stella pulls the door open and they start back outside, the old abandoned boat dock their next destination. Leaving behind their small flashlights and using the borrowed ones, they race into the inky blackness before them, nature once again laughing as it continues to assail them on all sides with wind, rain pellets, dirt and debris.

"I SEE...THE SIGN!" Mac calls out as his flashlight bounces ahead of them, resting for a few seconds on a sign that reads, _'warning keep out,' _before it lights up the fencing and the ground below it.

"MAC LOOK!" Stella shouts; pointing with her flashlight beam toward the evidence of Felix Reite's escape route; a piece of orange fabric still snagged on the jagged edges of the cut fencing.

"Damn bastard...cut the fence," Mac pants as he and Stella finally come to a halt before the fence, his face inches from hers. "Just keep your gun ready to fire," he tells her in a loud tone; his heart racing and his mind in a constant state of alert that now he has to precious lives to look after; one he's hoping to end at any cost.

"If you say ladies first, I'll shoot you," Stella quips and Mac just shakes his head as he pulls back; one hand on the flashlight the other on his gun.

"Just stay close."

XXXXXXXX

"What the hell do you mean you can't get me over there?" Flack's angry voice bellows over the phone, Sully also on another line trying to get anyone on Rikers Island to pick up. "Yes I have seen outside and...fine!" He growls as he once again slams down the phone.

"Don, they don't want to risk it."

"Then they should just give me the keys and I'll drive the damn boat!" Flack snaps as Adam hurries toward them.

"Sorry guys still nothing. I mean I can see that Mac's phone is still active and somewhere on Rikers Island, but the signals are still jammed; nothing is getting through and no one is picking up. There is no service anywhere over there with the power out."

"We need to get on that island," Flack groans as he looks back at his computer screen, new information about the relation of Felix Reite to someone on Rikers a very real reminder that two of his closest friends are in danger from people they probably think are trying to help them.

"Well keep trying, we need to let Mac and Stella know what they are up against."

"Besides hell itself?" Adam quips and then looks up with a sheepish grin. "Right, I'll keep trying."

Flack looks back outside and then at Jessica. "Their lives are in danger."

"I'm sure Felix Reite is locked up, Don," Jessica tries. "No way they'd just let him loose."

"Can you confirm that?"

"No but..." she starts as he turns and looks outside and then back at her. "Don't even think it," she warns.

"Power hasn't flickered in the past..."

"Don, they said the worse of the storm was still..."

"They have been wrong before and the thunder has eased. If the river isn't as bad as..." Flack tries.

"Don the coast guard isn't going to risk it; they'll only do it if someone is trapped in the water," Jessica argues. "By _accident._"

"Then I'll crash the damn car!" Flack groans in exasperation. "I hate this; we know Mac was called to see Felix as part of a distraction but we don't know why. We know that Felix has help on the inside and we can't get word to our two friends who could be with that person we suspect right now. Jessica, we have to get there."

"How? The bridge is out and..."

"How out?"

"What?"

"Sully!"

"What?"

"How badly was the bridge damaged?"

Sully looks up from his computer at Flack and frowns. "Why the hell are you even...no way. I'm not going to..."

"Not the time for a lecture Sul, just tell me. Better yet..." Flack's voice dies out as he stands up and reaches for his coat.

"Where are you going?"

"To survey a bridge."

"In this weather? Like hell," Jessica states firmly.

"I have to try."

"Then I am coming with you," she counters as she reaches for her coat.

"In this weather? Like hell," he throws back at her.

"Arrest me Detective Flack."

"Very tempted Detective Angell."

"Quit it you two!" Sully growls as he reaches for his coat. "Don its dark out and you are not going to do anything right now."

"Like hell, if you want to sit around here then fine; but I'm going!"

XXXXXXXX

Trying to avoid as much of the cut fence as possible, Mac very cautiously eases himself through the narrow opening, feeling a few slices of skin opening; instantly mixing with the driving sleet and forcing his teeth to grit. He pulls it open as wide as possible; not wanting Stella to suffer the same fate as he. Once she's through, he turns and heads for the wooden dock; not caring about pulling his hood back up, needing his peripheral vision to be sharp and unobstructed.

Stella's eyes dart nervously around, her hood also down; her senses on alert much the way she assumes her partner's are but her mind racing at an alert level that is reserved for her and her alone; her mind trying to push away images of Mac's demise at Felix's hands.

They reach the rotting wooden shed and Mac finally sees the fresh boot prints once again left behind by Felix Reite. Mac very carefully pulls the dilapidated piece of wood toward him; Stella's gun trained and ready. However, a sharp burst of wind catches the door, pushes it toward Mac and sending him stumbling backward, the piece of wood adding unnecessary weight.

Stella is able to quickly push forward with her forearm, bruising the skin under her clothing but ensuring that her partner stays upright at her side. Mac allows the piece of wood to crash to the ground at this left side; letting it crash and splinter, the audible sound if it's sad demise quickly swallowed by another gust of wind.

"Mac!" Stella shouts as she sees Felix's flashlight dancing a few yards away.

Wasting no time at all, Mac pushes past Stella, not thinking about the area that he's heading toward; a jagged and merciless landscape just waiting to offer the unsuspecting Detective a taste of creations dark side. Mac feels himself slipping in the muck but refuses to allow his own safety and wellbeing to hinder him pushing his body to it's very limits; the takedown of Felix Reite almost within his grasp.

Mac reaches the edge of the jagged landscape and quickly steadies himself as another gust of wind threatens to send him over the edge; a watery grave waiting with open arms to welcome him as his feet slide forward. He spies Felix through narrowed eyes and without taking heed of his partner's audible warning, Mac starts to climb down the icy rocks, the water instantly bathing his feet further with churned up seawater and various forms of debris; frostbite smiling in the distance.

"Damn it Mac," Stella curses once more, squinting into the darkness before her, trying to keep her light on her partner's path so that he can see where he's going; trying to ignore the voice inside her head that is telling her this is nothing more than a fools suicide mission. Despite the fact it's only been a few minutes since Mac started his descent as she watches Felix turn around, glaring at him with evil intent; a feeling that transcends over the storm itself, Stella feels her world come to a halt.

"Mac!" Stella screams, hoping to alert her partner to his charging rival; Felix leaving his almost sunken boat, his blood thirsty brain calling to him for one last attempt at taking the life of his NYPD nemesis.

Mac hears Stella's voice calling his name, reaches the bottom and looks up just as Felix lunges as him.

"Damn you Taylor!" Felix screams in anger as he raises the already blood stained blade into the air and sends it plunging into the blackness that surrounds Mac's frame.

Mac feels the blade slash through his battered slicker, his flashlight dropping but his gun staying gripped in his frigid grasp. The knife doesn't pierce skin but as Mac's body stumbles backward onto the jagged rocks, a slice in his palm is opened, forcing his hand to slip further between the rocks, Felix's body pressing into his once more.

Mac quickly counters, punching Felix in the side and then offering a hard knee to the groin, sending Felix backward onto his butt just as Stella finally reaches the bottom of the jagged wall. She watches Mac throw himself onto Felix's waiting frame; another lost scream carried away by the wind as she loses sight of the knife that Felix was wielding earlier.

Stella grabs a handful of Felix's long greasy locks and jerks his head back, forcing his body to pull back, freeing her partner slightly. Stella's fingers quickly slip through the icy tendrils atop Felix's head as he twists himself around and faces her with an angry sneer, lunging at her and forcing her to slam backward, her lips emitting a harsh gasp of pain as she connects oddly with the unforgiving surface; dotting with rocks and bathed every few minutes with icy sea water. Stella also drops her flashlight in the process, the hearty device bouncing a few feet away and then landing with the bulb facing opposite; plunging all of them into eerie darkness once again; their frames now eerily silhouetted against sudden bursts of lightening.

Mac picks himself up just as Felix and Stella roll toward the edge; the deadly tentacles of the East River trying to capture either, not caring who it takes into its hungry grasp. The sound of the waves, coupled with the howling wind make Mac's attempts at calling to Stella, futile and a waste of breath. Mac's lungs painfully heave in the cold air; his brain screaming at him to just shut up and get the job done.

With her flashlight lolling back and forth, being spun around in circles by the wind; each time her watery eyes would catch a glimpse of Felix Reite, his tongue would lick his twisted lips and her stomach would instantly want to lurch. However, as his fingers started to wrap around her neck; her brain went into full panic mode and her reflexes instantly took action.

Stella knees Felix in the groin; forcing his body to recoil and his grip on her to loosen. Mac grabs a handful of orange prison uniform, yanks him back, pulling him off Stella and allowing her to rid herself of the clutches of Felix Reite; her body rolling to side, her lungs gasping for air; taking in copious amount of the icy air and forcing a few more painful coughs and gasps.

She watches Mac pull his slicker open, his hands busy but his mind set with one goal and one goal alone; subduing Felix Reite. Felix kicks back at Mac, who saw the gesture coming, stepped backward and allowed Felix to crash back to the hardened ground.

"You're und..." Mac starts as he tries to wrestle with Felix, his gun in his holster and a pair of handcuffs in his hands.

"Thanks for...bringing the...toys!" Felix shouts as he tries to elbow Mac in the ribs. But with the wind and Felix's prison uniform completely water soaked, his actions aren't the spry movements Mac had to endure in the warehouse, enabling Mac to pounce once more.

"Hold still," Mac mutters rhetorically. He finally manages to twist one of Felix's arms behind his back, reveling in his few seconds of unexpected glory when fate once again decided that this ordeal wasn't over.

"Mac!" Stella tries to warn her partner as she grabs her flashlight at the same time a large crack of lightening, illuminates the stormy skies above, finding it's mark on the southern side of an old Douglas Fir and shattering one of the proud deciduous limb in seconds; showering wooden debris onto the two puny humans below.

Mac looks up but doesn't have time to react; his already injured arm bearing the brunt as the limb sails past, ripping the slicker further; separating good from bad. Felix uses the opportunity to once again make a break for the boat; Stella in pursuit.

Mac's eyes blink away dirt and dry rot; his brain frantically praying that his body will accept the message of physical defeat. But the small voice in the back of his mind knows all too well the human in charge of carrying out its orders and has to accept the fact that until this mission is accomplished, his outer frame would probably sustain a bit more damage; it was an old code the ex-marine lived by.

However, it's not the howling wind that forces Mac's head to snap upward; it's the ear piercing scream from his partner, her lips calling to him just before she disappears from his view.

"MAC!"

"Stella!" Mac screams in horror as he watches Felix stand up, knife in hand.

"You are next Taylor," Felix offers an evil smile, black strands of hair pasted to his face, his body ready for anything the Detective might want to throw in this direction.

"I'll kill you you bastard!" Mac shouts as he pushes past the charred entanglements, not caring that his body was now at the mercy of the still raging storm; its strength slightly dissipated but its fury still strong and hungry.

Mac charges toward Felix who hurls Stella's flashlight at his feet, forcing Mac's steps to be impeded by the object which allows Felix to make his hasty retreat into darkness; only wanting to regroup, not wanting to escape just yet. Mac's mind frantically races for a few seconds at the knowledge that his allowing his partner to accompany him into this fool's errand might have meant her ultimate demise and curses his very existence in a matter of seconds.

"Stella!" Mac calls as his fingers desperately reach for the flashlight; anything to provide extra light in his beleaguered search.

"Mac!" Stella shouts over the storm's laughter; Mac's ears picking up the call as he instantly drops to his knees and spies golden curls within arm's reach.

"Stella!" Mac calls; his tone a mixture of relief and panic.

Stella looks up with a slight wince, her fingers clutching the jagged piece of rock; the last vestige before she's swept into the deathly current of the East River.

"Give me your hand!" Mac calls out as he puts down the flashlight, drops to his stomach; praying the ground doesnt give way and their embrace won't be the last time they ever are allowed to touch. Mac's stomach instantly reacts as Stella's other hand shoots forth from the darkness below, reaching the light and allowing his eyes to commit to memory her pale skin covered in crimson sludge; her own precious blood.

Another foul curse lost in the air, Mac's hands finally grasp hers and he starts to pull. But just as he gets her half way back up the slippery slope; his heart rate starts to soar.

"Mac! Behind you!" Stella shouts as Felix grabs Mac's feet, yanking him backward; Stella's fingers slipping from his grasp.

"Stella!"

"Mac, I'm slipping!" She screams as her boots frantically try to find something solid and not slippery to keep hold of; her attempts all being in vain; ice, blood and sweat all ensuring her efforts to get up the jagged embankment on her own would be futile.

"Hold on! I've got..." Mac starts; his words quickly cut off by the evil voice of Felix Reite carried over the wind.

"Mac!"

"Ste..."

"Told you Taylor...she's not invited!" Felix shouts as he finally succeeds in freeing Mac from Stella's grasp; pulling him back with all his might. "Time to die Detective Taylor!"

XXXXXXXX

"I must need my freakin' head examined," Sully groans as he slowly navigates through the darkened stormy streets; opting to leave his cruiser behind and being allowed to borrow the sturdy NYPD military style Humvee that SWAT normally uses.

"Yeah well tell Granger I owe him one," Flack mentions from the front seat; all three of them dressed in rain slickers and heavy work boots; hoping to keep out the elements for as long as possible.

"How the hell did you talk me into this?" Sully growls.

"You were worried about me?"

"Worried? I'm tempted to toss you into that damn river myself," Sully shoots back; his eyes darting back to Jessica for a few seconds. "You could have said something you know."

"He would have just found a way to sneak out on his own," she resigns, shaking her head as her eyes dart between the tense expression on her boyfriend and partners face and the ill fated weather outside around them.

"I just want to see how bad the bridge really is," Flack tries to explain. "Grumand said that only part was of it was impassible."

"Yeah we he didn't think that you two clowns were actually going to attempt to cross it. What are you going to do? Tie a rope around your waist, toss a stone to the other side and hope for the best?"

"With you on the other end as the anchor," Flack offers in sarcasm, forcing Sully to look at him sharply. "The Hummer is too heavy."

"Yeah thanks for the compliment."

"Sully, I gotta try, if we have even one small piece of evidence to suggest that Warden Miller or someone on his team is connected to Felix Reite then Mac and Stella could already be either dead or very close to it."

"And you want to risk your life to get to them? Even if it could mean yours might end on that damn bridge?"

"Yes," Flack answers in haste; his ears picking up Jessica's whispered curse.

XXXXXXXX

"Mac!" Stella shouts in panic as she hears Felix's voice taunting Mac; a mixture of wicked laugher and deathly delight; her ears forced to listen, her body a captive audience as she hangs on with any ounce of strength she can muster.

Mac tries to twist himself out of Felix's grasp; Felix's fingers now ensuring a vise-like grip remains as he yanks Mac further away from the edge and the fate of his beloved partner.

Mac's fingers try to dig into the frozen ground, not caring about ripped skin and torn nail beds as his brain forces his eyes to gaze upon the fresh blood trail that his grasp produced; blood he fears is from Stella; her life now in the balance. Mac's fingers finally latch onto a rock jutting from the underlay and after summoning whatever bit of strength his body is forced to scrounge, he holds on, stopping the killer in his tracks.

"Here is good," Felix grumbles as he allows Mac's legs to tumble back to the ground.

But Mac, knowing that Stella's life still depends on him, wastes no time in twisting himself around, his right foot catching Felix in the side of his right leg and forcing his angry opponent backward onto the dangerous rock face. Mac hears Felix offer an angry grunt; his fingers going for his gun, his ears still thankful he can hear Stella calling to him for help; silence would mean the death of both of them.

Mac pulls his gun just as Felix charges him once more; Mac's fingers pulling back on the trigger, the bullet finding its mark along Felix's left thigh.

"Bastard!" Felix shouts as his fist comes down on Mac's wounded arm, his grasp around the gun starting to fade.

With a new found surge of energy, Mac twists himself around; his left arm charging up and plunging into the right side of Felix's rib cage; the hardened killer's twisted lips offering another foul curse in the seasoned CSI's name. Nature once again feels it's time to once again toss another hurdle into the futile struggle; opening its mouth and unleashing its noisy fury; the ground around them shaking; Stella's cries desperate and terrified.

"Her death will be on your head Taylor!" Felix laughs as his bloody hand raises the knife once more. This time the sound of men shouting in the distance, coupled with crashing rocks a few feet away and splintering wood, force both men to look up and then quickly try to take cover as more debris starts to rain down around them.

Mac rolls out of the way, a few jagged rocks narrowly missing his weary frame. His eyes frantically blink away stinging water; Felix's outline no where to be seen. Without another second wasted, he rolls onto his stomach and quickly crawls back to Stella, grasping her hands before she lets go.

"Stella!"

"Mac!" Stella gasps, her lungs burning from trying to spit back out putrid ocean current. Stella feels Mac's arms slowly pulling her to safety and offers a quick prayer of thanks that he's alive and she's, for the most part, out of harms way.

"I thought I lost you," Mac admits with a ragged breath as he clings to her body, both of them perched precariously on the edge of the jagged embankment.

"So did I. Where's Felix?" Stella asks in exhaustion, as she looks around behind them.

"My guess is he's heading back inside," Mac states in a loud tone. "His boat was smashed. He is now trapped here with us on this island," Mac nods toward a small boat that has now found its way onto the rocky ledge; a gaping hole torn along its underside; ensuring escape would be impossible.

Despite the agony now coursing through his veins, Mac pushes himself upright, holding his hand for Stella to take. His lips offer an unseen half smile when her fingers clasp his, a new found surge of heat forcing its way through their connected and frigid flesh. Mac helps Stella slowly climb up the slippery slope, both pausing for a moment to catch their breath. Mac squints into the darkened area before them, a faint glimmer of light immediately drawing his to hidden doorway that opens and then quickly closes; quickl concealing a hardened killer in another maze of danger.

"Damn it!"

"You see him?" Stella asks haste.

"He went back inside!" Mac calls back. "I shot him so he'll need some kind of attention."

"Mac we need dry clothes. Were you shot?"

"No, I'm fine," he offers in half truth; taking one more large intake of cold air and forcing himself back to his feet; praying Stella won't notice the grimace of pain that his last encounter with Felix Reite left him with. Stella is quick to push herself up beside him, noticing the pain but of course knowing now isnt the time to show concern, a job was still waiting to be accomplished; the take down of Felix Reite.

"If he has someone helping him on the inside have to be smart about this," Mac instructs as the head toward the doorway at a quickened pace; guns in hand. "You suspect Warden Miller but I also think it could be Captain Jensen."

"What? Why?" Stella inquires as they stop a few feet outside the doorway.

Mac tries the door and then offers a slight curse.

"Why? Just because he argued with you to stay behind? All hell is breaking loose out here, of course he was concerned. We both could have died back there!"

"Stella, this door is open."

"So?"

"Jensen told me that even during a severe power outage these doors are guaranteed to be locked from the inside, so in the case of an emergency, they could control who left but ensure no one went back in without their knowledge. That means someone had to have left this door open. And from a quick survey I don't see anything other than an open lock; it was purposely left open."

"And you suspect Jensen? Anyone could have left it open, I'm sure he's not the only one that knows about there doors."

"He told me to take out Felix no questions asked. Why would he say that unless he's covering something up?"

"Damn it," Stella curses as Mac's fingers rest on the door handle. "What other choice do we have Mac? We can't run around in the dark and in this weather all night. Sooner or later Felix Reite is going to have to take shelter if this storm doesn't subside! If he did come in here then it will end in here. There are only a few places he can hide in here. Not everyone is on his side. There are more with us."

"All he needs is one shot Stella."

"Mac..."

"Just make sure you're ready for any surprises," Mac states firmly; his mind racing at what could be waiting for them on the other side of the door.

Stella pulls her gun, cocks it and then nods to Mac who slowly pulls the door open, flashlight back in hand. They slowly head inside; thankful for the warm blast of air that greets them, instantly killing the chill that winter had hoped they'd carry with them to their detriment.

"You guys made it," a voice greets them forcing Mac and Stella to quickly turn and see Captain Stanley Jensen stepping from the shadows; gun in hand.

XXXXXXXX

"Flack you're nuts," Sully's angry voice grumbles as the three of them stand outside the Hummer, the storm still powerful but the thunder and lightening finally subsiding. "You can't do it."

"I can and I wi..." Flack starts as his phone rings again. "Danny boy not a good time!" He fairly shouts into the receiver as one of the Coast Guard officials and City Bridge Inspectors hurry toward them.

_"Don, I just found another locked file. Sinclair was able to open it."_

"More bad news on Warden Miller?"

_"No, it's about one of his main prison guards!"

* * *

_**A/N:** So hope you all liked this update and have some fingernails left! lol...What do Mac and Stella have to face now? Where is Felix? And will Flack succeed? Please review and let me know. Thank you all in advance.


	6. Into the Belly of the Beast

**Title: Escape from Rikers Island  
****Chapter 6 - Into the Belly of the Beast**

* * *

Flack hangs up and then looks at Jessica; something more than an uneasy feeling starting to develop in the pit of his stomach. He knows inside that Mac has faced more than his share of battles and that Stella is capable of handling herself in any life or death situation, however, he also knows that Felix has help on the inside; help he's sure his friends don't know about. Or if they do, it could already be too late.

"I know that look," she notes with a wind beaten frown. "Who is it?"

But before Flack can offer the name of the Felix's sadistic accomplice to his wondering partner, they are greeted by two strangers with pensive expressions.

"Any reason why the three of you are out in this?" The man wearing the Coast Guard jacket calls to them over the fierce howl.

"We need to get on that island!" Flack shouts in return as he pulls his badge, not caring that it's instantly assaulted by salty water.

"Are you kidding?" The man asks in disbelief.

"No, he's serious!" Sully growls in return. "What is the status?"

"The eastern side has been taken out by some floating debris," the man identified as the City Bridge Inspector informs them in a loud tone.

"And the western side?" Jessica asks in haste; Flack looking at her in surprise.

"Its pitch black out there! You can't..." the Coast Guard's voice trails off into the windstorm.

"I need to get a message to two people over there and yes it is a matter of life and death! I'd opt for a carrier pigeon but I doubt they'd make it. And Sully won't let me shoot him over in a cannon."

"Damn it," Sully grumbles.

"I am sorry but I can't let you attempt it," the City Inspector tells them firmly.

"I don't think you understand, I'm going over to that side one way or another," Flack argues in return; receiving a few angry curses in return. "I am not asking permission."

"Can you give me about half hour? I have a small team already working on that side and then we'll know exactly what is passable and what isn't."

"In half hour they could be dead!"

"I can try for fifteen minutes but trust me the faster we work the more mistakes we make; and in this weather any mistake will mean your life. And if you do go in there," the man tosses a nod toward the swirling black chasm of the East River, "you'll just be giving these guys more work to do."

"Just sit tight officer," the Coast Guard tells Flack. "We are working as fast as we can. Thirty minutes and then we'll toss you a harness."

"Fine," Flack resigns, realizing that he really has no choice and not really wanting to create a volatile situation out of one that is only simmering. With an angry curse, Flack turns and heads back for the SWAT Hummer, Sully and Jessica in tow.

"Don't say it," Flack grumbles as he gets in and slams the door shut; two others following.

"Mac and Stella are probably fine," Jessica tries; an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, gnawing away at her insides.

"Do you _believe_ that?" Flack counters with a heavy frown; not getting an answer from either person in the vehicle.

XXXXXXXX

Mac's eyes dart from the gun in Jensen's hand to the look of surprise on his face; his brain racing with wonder as to where Felix Reite was waiting for them. With his gun still raised, he very carefully edges in front of Stella; not caring that his body is now being offered as a human shield, her life worth far more in his eyes than his own. He feels Stella tense but is thankful that her protests are kept to silent motions; her eyes also trained on the man before them.

"Where is he Jensen?" Mac demands, both his and Stella's gun trained on the man before them; tension hanging so thick over the two that it almost chokes the words as they pass over his lips.

"Who?" Jensen asks with a look of wonder; his body tense and on edge, but his eyes locked with Mac's.

"I saw Felix Reite enter this door. Now where the hell is he?" Mac demands, his finger easing back a little; Jensen taking a slow step back.

"Are you mad?" Jensen inquires; his facial expression changing from surprise to disbelief. "If he came through, he'd either be arrested or dead."

"I saw him! Now where the hell is he?" Mac snaps in anger.

"How the hell should I kn..."

"How did he know this door would be open? You said..."

"If Felix Reite would have come through that door then we'd be having a different conversation. He is not here."

"Where were you yesterday at five PM?" Mac continues his angry interrogation.

"Okay, look I am going to lower this if you do the same and perhaps we can talk about this like..."

"And have your accomplice take us out?" Mac snarls. "Nice try. This gun stays raised until..."

"I swear Felix Reite is not here. Can _you _swear to me you saw him come in here?" Jensen counters.

"Why the hell is the door open?"

"That I can't explain," Jensen resigns.

"Prove it," Mac dares.

Jensen pulls out his radio, showing it both to Mac and Stella before he presses the button to talk.

"They're dead Stanley," Mac informs him. "So don't bother trying to ask what they saw."

"Which tower?" Jensen demands.

"You tell me."

"Damn it with these games Taylor!" Jensen snaps in return.

"Are there any other doorways in this room?" Stella inquires; wanting to ease the thick tension at least a little before a needless gunfight ensues; and precious blood is needlessly wasted.

"To your right," Jensen directs.

Mac feels Stella's fingers gently touch his back before her warm presence is replaced by a cold absence.

"This is insane Detective Taylor," Jensen lightly growls; he and Mac still held in time, locked in their uncertain showdown. "Reite would not come in here. I don't know what you _think _you saw..."

"I saw this door open and then I found it unlocked and now you have your gun trained on us. What the hell am I supposed to think?" Mac counters with an angry tone. "Stella?"

"Door is locked Mac," Stella informs them as she hurries back to his side.

"Locked from the other side by your escaping accomplice?" Mac arches his brows in suspicion.

"No our side Mac. He's not in here," Stella informs them.

Jensen allows his arm to fall to his side; his gun hanging limply between his fingers. He looks at both people before him; his brain racing with a way to verbalize his innocence; praying they'll actually listen and accept his word as truth. "I am telling the truth. I would in no way help Felix Reite."

Mac feels his arm flinch; wanting to drop as his eyes examines the statement coming from the man before him. Having studied the facial expressions of people offering untruth most of his working career, something behind the veil of fear that Jensen is offering is a small glimmer of truth trying to force it's way out; his eyes, while uncertain are not lying.

"Why in such a hurry to have me kill him out there?"

"Harvey VanderVeen," Jensen simply mentions.

"Victim number two," Stella comments. "What about him?"

"He was my brother in law," Jensen confirms in truth.

"But his wife's maiden name was Croeker."

"Different fathers," Jensen huffs. "I wanted revenge Detective Taylor; every minute since I saw those god awful photos in the news a few weeks back; since she came to me begging for any kind of revenge But I never had the chance. I had to stay in here and help my men maintain law and order. Me telling you to take him out was a call for revenge in case I wasn't able to see him come to justice. I swear to you on my sister's life that I would never help Felix Reite carve up another human being the way he did my brother in law. Not after helping her try to make sense of all this madness. I did not have a hand in his escape, I did not leave that door unlocked and I wouldn't hesitate to fire if he came before me instead of you."

Mac listens to Jensen's tormented confession of truth and finally feels his arm starting to lower, his fingers, however, still tightly wrapped around the handle of his gun, still ready for a fight if needed at a moments notice.

"I swear I'm telling the truth."

"I'm sorry about Harvey," Mac finally states as his body slightly relaxes, his senses, however, still on high alert. "Then he's still outside. I'm going..."

"You look like hell and I can tell you've taken..." Jensen starts.

"I just need a dry coat," Mac lightly grimaces as he holds up the ripped side of the rain slicker; once again forcing his brain to push to the back of his mind the searing pain in his arm from where Felix's deadly grasp ripped the stitching open; his heart reverberating against weary ribs.

"In the men's locker room, outside and to the left are some dry clothes that should fit you," Jensen tells them as he slowly puts his gun away. "Where did you find him?"

"By the docks, someone had left a boat for him and gave him fence cutters," Stella pipes up; both of them taking in the angry curse that Jensen offers at the newly found knowledge. "The boat is damaged and he is now stuck here with us."

"So you'll forgive us if we only take your story with a half grain of salt," Mac tells him.

"I guess after all that I can't blame you for still being suspicious. I have been told that they are working on the power right now and it should come back on within half hour. When that happens this whole place will be lit up like Rockefeller Square on Christmas Eve; he'll have no place to hide then."

"Then we need to find him before he figures that out or has inside knowledge and lies in wait for the perfect moment."

"Mac, who here would want to help a monster like Felix Reite?" Jensen inquires.

"Warden Miller?" Stella arches a curious brow.

"What?" Jensen asks in disbelief. "Not pos..."

"How well do you know him?" Mac interjects. "Someone here arranged for our being here as a distraction to get Felix into that unlocked room. He had no name for me; at least none he was willing to give up. This was all a rouse, fostered by a man with something to gain. What does he have on Warden Miller?" Mac continues.

"Hell if I know."

"Jensen don't play games with me!"

"I don't believe this."

"Just try," Mac grimaces.

"Would have to be money," Jensen ponders.

"Why?" Stella presses.

"Warden Miller has a gambling problem. But I just can't see him ever being invited into the social circle as Felix Reite."

"As I said before," Mac huffs. "How well do you know him?"

"How well do we know anyone we work with?" Jensen counters with an angry hiss; forcing Mac's jaw to clench tightly.

The three of them continue to stand in tormented silence for a few more minutes; and while in fact only a couple hours have passed, it seems like an entire lifetime of mistrust and doubts have been already accounted for. Stella's eyes dart nervously between Mac's clenched jaw and Jensen's pensive frown; neither man taking their eyes off the other. Another loud thunder clap is heard, shaking the room but thankfully not accompanied by flickering light; the reserve power still holding.

"Felix is free and armed with a weapon he has already head deadly success in using," Mac starts in a low tone as his frame finally relaxes a little more; his heart rate, however, still elevated and his head pounding. "We need to end this before either the bridge is repaired or he finds another way off this island. If he's allowed once again to escape into the city, we'll never be able to bring him to justice and give his victims some much needed closure."

"What do you need from me?"

"Your word that as soon as Stella and I walk through that door, the only thing we'll be greeted with is either honest prison officials or an empty hallway."

"Honest?" Jensen arches a brow.

"Humor me," Mac deadpans.

"Want me to go first?"

"I want your gun and then you can go first," Mac tries to barter.

Jensen looks him square on before he finally offers a heavy sigh and then slowly reaches for his side arm, carefully removing it from his holster and then placing it on the floor and kicking it over toward Mac. "Want my cuffs too?"

"No, just your word."

"That you have," Jensen replies with a slight shake of his head.

Mac looks at Stella, sees her swallow and feels his anxiety starting to rise once again. He curses himself for once again giving in to Don a few hours back; knowing if she was on the outside with Don, her life would be guaranteed and his mind would have at least a small amount of peace. She offers him a firm nod in return, once again forcing his mind to acknowledge that her strength and determination were quiet factors in feeding his refusal to give up or give in, no matter what he had and would yet face. With her at his side, success was almost guaranteed; she just made him feel that way.

"Cover me," he whispers as he turns back, gives Jensen a nod to proceed and falls in line behind him; Stella already having locked the door so that if Felix Reite was outside, this was one more exit that he'd be denied entry. Stella watches Mac's shoulders tense under the battered rain slicker, her heart also racing at top speed as they near the door to go outside into the hallway, wondering what if anything would be waiting for them.

Mac's eyes quickly scan the area before them, his fingers quickly on his hip; his gun ready just incase. They reach the hallway and aside from two guards posted at the far end, it's empty; no place for Felix Reite to be hiding; unless he was inside the locker rooms.

"And if we go in there?" Mac nods toward the closed door that reads '_staff lockers'_.

"Right," Jensen sighs as he pushes the door open and then heads into the room which houses an open area, lockers on either side; having no doors, but housing fresh and dry clothing inside.

"Want me to wait in here with you or outside with my men?"

"I want to know that when we exit, you'll be the only one waiting for us."

"Well I have already given you my word Detective Taylor; all I can do is offer my life."

"I'll take it on loan," Mac retorts with a slight smirk.

"Stubborn bastard," Jensen softly curses as he turns and heads outside, Mac quickly locking the door; leaving him and Stella alone in the stillness.

"Do you believe him?" Stella inquires as she turns and looks at Mac, who has leaned against the door and is watching her in return.

"I want to. Ask me again when this is over," he lightly frowns as he slowly walks up to her; finally seeing the fresh bruise on her cheek and blood smattering on her forehead. Mac takes a few steps closer, his heart shattering with each step as he sees what she had to endure outside; her frame still shivering, covered with dirt and blood from the struggle with Felix; her expression one of veiled freight and unspoken determination and her eyes holding his captive until she's ready to allow him to look away, an action he finds he's unable and unwilling to actually carry out himself. And while he would never allow anyone else to dictate his emotional reaction with Stella, he doesn't mind; if she finds strength in his reflection then that is what he would offer.

"Come here. Let me see your hand," Mac begs.

"It's just a scratch," she states lightly as she holds out her bloody palm.

"And you get after me for lying," Mac grimaces as he reaches for a nearby cloth and starts to clean. "Sorry," he whispers as her face slightly winces. He hands her a bandaide as he uses the cloth to gently brush away any dirt that isn't embedded or would need more than a gentle brushing to clean away.

"Thank you," she offers tenderly as her fingers reach out and hold his for a few seconds longer.

"What can I offer you to just stay here, lock the door and wait until this is over?"

"Mac, there is nothing you can offer me."

Mac's fingers gently rise, brushing away a fleck of wood perched precariously near her cheek, his lips offering an automatic wince as he watches his actions produce a small amount of pain. "You are hurt because of me."

"I followed you willingly Mac," Stella counters as her hands rest on his weary shoulders. "I could offer you just as big a look of remorse as you are offering me," she states in a tormented whisper, her eyes glancing up at the cut above his eye and then following the trail of dirty rainwater, dyed crimson that had snaked down his face after the fight with Felix. "You look like hell."

"When I...when I heard you scream," Mac starts in a small, hushed tone, quickly looking away; telling himself now was not the time to offer anything in the way of an emotional confession as they had a job they needed to tend to right away and he needs his mind clear and not distracted in any way. However, he does allow Stella's gentle fingers to slowly turn his face back to look at hers; her emerald gaze once again holding his sapphires hostage until she once again allows him his emotional freedom.

"Mac I'm okay."

"I thought I lost you for good."

"When I saw him pull that knife away from your side...and I saw the blood...I thought...I thought he had taken you from me once again," she offers with a slight frown; her voice thick with torment and concern.

"He tried," Mac holds up his arm, putting the torn yellow slicker on display for her to look upon. "Stella I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I know none of this is your fault; I too believed inside that he wanted a deal, so I guess we are both to blame."

"This will end when we put a bullet into him."

"Then lets do that," she states firmly.

"Want me to leave while you change?"

"Into what..." Stella's voice trails off as she turns around, her eyes confirming what her brain already knows. "Mac this is a men's only prison."

"Right," Mac huffs as he finally sheds the useless slicker, tossing it into a nearby garbage can and then starting a quick bodily inspection; not wanting to draw any further attention to his already damaged arm; the one Dr. Adams had patched less than twenty four hours earlier. Mac foregoes getting anything drier, simply heading for the sink to wash away the blood and dirt that were threatening small inroads to his eyes and then turning to see Stella watching him with a skeptical brow.

"You have fresh blood under that shirt Mac."

"It's nothing," he insists, now cursing himself for taking off his suit jacket.

"Mac..."

"When this is over you can say _'I told you so',_" he tells her with a slightly softened expression.

"Is it your arm again?"

"Stitching has torn but it's no big deal. I don't have time to search for a band-aid."

"I found one," she reminds him.

"I will live."

"Still would prefer to just cuff you and toss you into the back of the truck," Stella throws back at him with a slight smirk, Mac's lips in danger of tugging upward; not completely succeeding.

"Bet you'd enjoy that."

"Bet I would. Can we trust Jensen?"

"Can we afford not to?"

"I guess in this case it would be keep your friends _and_ enemies close."

Mac checks his gun once more as he turns and heads for the door, his heart once again racing with worried anticipation. "We have to stop him at any cost."

"At any cost Mac," Stella agrees as his hand goes for the door, her fingers resting on his and giving them a reassuring squeeze.

"Let's go get him."

XXXXXXXX

"For the record, this is _the stupidest_ thing you have ever done!" Jessica shouts as Flack fixes the harness around his waist, preparing to carefully make his way from their solid side of the bridge, over the hole with the rushing East River below it and over to the other side that will take him to his friends; hopefully before things get too out of hand or they are already in mortal danger.

"Are you sure?" Flack counters.

"If she's not, I sure as hell am!" Sully growls as he looks at Flack, just as Flack's fingers secure the belt around his waist.

"If you go in, I can't guarantee..." the Coast Guard Captain starts, prompting Flack to hold up his hand and stop his speech. "Right, just watch your ass."

"Planning on it," Flack states in a loud tone, having to compete with blaring sirens in the background and the raging river below them. "Wish me luck."

"Only if you wish me luck after," Jessica counters.

"You are not coming with me!" Flack growls as he looks past Jessica to Sully.

"What? You want me to arrest her?"

"Yes."

"Don!"

"Forget it Flack, when you're across her and I are coming with you."

"Damn you're stubborn," Flack retorts.

"Been hangin' around you too long."

"I get it from Mac," Flack shoots back with a slight wince.

"Fine then I'll kick his ass as well as yours when this is all over," Sully counters.

"Let's go."

"This is short wave," the Coast Guard Captain informs Flack, stuffing a small walkie-talkie into the safety vest over his rain slicker. "If you get into trouble..."

"I'll be fine," Flack tries as he offer them all a nod; his eyes lingering with Jessica's a few seconds longer before he turns and stares into the darkness before him; his brain wondering what the hell he's doing. _I'm doing this for Mac and Stella, _he keeps telling himself, images of Felix Reite's handiwork always flashing in his mind. He takes slow and deliberate steps toward the black hole of the the storm damaged Francis Buono Bridge. He nears the opposite side of the bridge the city workers are still working tirelessly to repair.

Without paying them heed; his mind focused on the treacherous path before him, he starts to slowly head over to the far left side; his fingers clinging to the metal railing, not caring about the biting cold that is constantly nipping at any piece of exposed flesh it can lay its greedy teeth upon. With the other end of his safety belt and rope firmly tethered to the SWAT Hummer, Flack starts to make his move.

His fingers grasp at the metal bars, his heart racing as his feet slip, the claws of the darkened river below him always trying to reach up and pull him under.

"Damn it!" Flack growls as his right hand slips; his belt is giving a sharp tug and he hears Jessica's voice offer a scream that is carried in the wind a few miles downstream. He quickly swings himself toward the right, his free hand grabbing for anything solid and his mind offering a pray of thanks when he's rewarded with a sturdy beam to hold onto; allowing his feet to also find something firm to stand on.

Telling himself to slow down a little, Flack continues his valiant quest across the gently swaying bridge components; the movement of the wind and water, forcing his stomach to churn with nervous anxiety; his praying that Jessica will just stay put.

Jessica's fingers tightly grip Sully's as she continues to watch in silent torment as Flack slowly and deliberately makes his way across the gaping hole to the other side; determined to complete a mission that could probably claim all their lives in vain. Her lips emit another gasp as Flack loses his footing once more, Sully's angry curse carried over the wind to the other side of darkness that awaits them. When Flack disappears into the darkness on the other side; his frame dotted by rain and dancing beams of light from the city workers, her heart races with fear.

"I'm over," Flack's voice lightly pants as is comes to life over the two-way. "I'm going..."

"Don, wait for us!" Jessica bellows before her and Sully are only offered static in return. "Damn him," Jessica grumbles as she looks at Sully with a frown.

"Ladies first," he grumbles.

"I hate that line," Jessica frowns as she tightens the belts, offers a quick prayer and then rushes foward into the darkness.

XXXXXXXX

Mac slowly pulls the door open, his mind anticipating the worst but his eyes thankfully relaying to his brain that his initial fears were unjustified; the hallway is as Jensen said it would be, him standing guard with two of his men posted at the far end. Mac flexes his arm, feels a small trickle of blood slowly starting to slide down his tense bicep; mercilessly teasing sensitive skin and signaling to his brain that the wound needs some immediate attention.

But despite the throbbing in his arm from where the stitches are still straining against the torn skin, his mind is once again focused on the task at hand; keeping Stella alive while trying to bring Felix Reite to justice; everything else secondary.

"What is your next move Detective?" Jensen inquires.

"I think Felix Reite came into this complex and now we have to start a hard target search of every single square inch of this facility," Mac informs him.

"I'm pretty sure that..." Jensen starts just as a shot is heard from behind them.

Mac looks at Jensen in anger, his fingers quickly reaching for his sidearm. "Thought you said that damn door was locked!"

"I don't..."

"Just make sure that no one comes after us," Mac instructs as he looks at Stella before charging back toward the door they just came out of. Once inside Mac looks at Stella and frowns. "We can't trust him."

"What is your next move?"

Mac looks around and then sees the second door, the one Stella checked earlier, looking back at her in wonder as his fingers try the lock and find it open.

"I checked that door Mac, it was locked from this side," she assures him; her heart racing at top speed.

"So then he was in this room the whole time."

"Guess you were right," she groans. "Jensen is on Reite's side. Damn it!"

"Just be ready," Mac instructs as he pulls the door all the way open, gazing into a boiler room with a heavy frown. He closes the door behind them; Stella's tense frame at his side, her gun ready for anything that might be lying in wait. They slowly move toward the middle of the room, when a noise is heard from inside a passageway to the right.

"Wait here," Mac tells her as he goes to make a move toward the noise.

"Just call him out Mac," Stella insists.

"Just be ready," he tells her again; a small voice in the back of his mind warning that his stubborn refusal to back down could cost them more than they might ever imagine. Mac hears Stella's lips offer a whispered curse as he heads toward the dimly lit area were the noise was originally heart; another gunshot not heard; a clear path to Felix Reite not indicated.

Mac nears the small room, his left hand feeling for a light switch, his right hand, glad with the glock ready for action. Just as his fingers latch onto the switch, Mac's lips offer an automatic gasp of pain as Felix's fingers wrap around his and yank him forward into the darkness.

"Mac!" Stella yells as she watches him disappear into the room. Felix slams Mac into the wall, slightly dazing Mac but ensuring that he's able to close the door and charge Stella.

Stella manages to fire off a shot; but it's not fatal and just serves to further anger the man charging into her. As Felix's body slams into hers, her lips offer an automatic yelp of pain; her gun going flying.

"Wish I could stay and party," Felix laughs as his harsh fingers start to meanly grope Stella's sides, finally resting on what they need, before hauling her upright; dragging her toward a pole.

"Mac!" Stella shouts as she kicks at Felix, his lips offering an angry curse as his leg bears the brunt of another heeled attack.

"Damn you bitch!" Felix growls as his gives her an elbow to the side and her body momentarily sags in his grasp.

Mac quickly pulls himself out of his dazed stupor, Stella's frantic call for help forcing his mind to jolt his body back to its present tormented reality; insisting he get the message that both their lives were in danger. Mac's fingers feel around in the darkness for his gun, finally plucking it back up and then pulling the door open; his partner's life now in the balance.

"Catch me if you can Taylor!" Felix laughs as he steps away from Stella, who he's now cuffed with one arm to an overhead pole; before firing off a shot with Stella's gun in Mac's direction. Mac ducks but is back up in seconds, rushing toward Stella, just as Felix vacates the room.

"Hurry Mac, the key is on the floor."

"I'll be right back..." Mac tells her as he heads for the door Felix just disappeared through.

"Mac! You can't leave me here," Stella shouts as she tugs on her captive wrist; this time offering an angry curse in her partner's name. "Oh damn you!"

"No time...be right back. Just shoot him if he comes back without me."

"I don't have my..." she tries to tell him; wanting him to know her gun was taken by Felix and she is now trapped and unarmed. "Mac!" She calls just as the door slams shut, leaving her inside the dimly lit room; trapped and alone. Stella's eyes spy the key on the floor, her arm now straining against the cuff as she leg stretches out in an attempt to secure her freedom.

Her fingers rest on it, but just as she's about to pull the key back toward her, the door opens and she quickly turns around to see Captain Stanley Jensen enter with his gun drawn.

"What the hell?" Stella asks in shock as Jensen slowly cocks the trigger.

Mac races after Felix, his heart racing and his ear drums about to shatter; his body on the verge of breaking down but his mind forcing his adrenaline to keep feeding his limbs until he's finished his mission with success.

But just as he reaches the mid-way part of the hallway his world comes to a literal halt; the silence shattered by one scream and two gun shots.

Mac stops suddenly and stares at the doorway he just came out; the doorway that led to a room where he left his partner alone and defenseless.

"Oh my god...Stella! What have I done..." his voice dies out just as his nemesis's shadow appears behind him.

_"Hello Detective," Felix whispers as he makes his move._

"NO!"

* * *

**A/N:** Well you know I would never kill our Stella, so hopefully you still have a few nails left and liked this chapter also. Thanks again in advance and I'll try to get the next part up as soon as I can.

**PS:** NY Stories updates next.

**PSS:** Please vote in my new SMACKED poll on my profile. Thank you all in advance!


	7. Waiting to Exhale

**Title: Escape from Rikers Island  
****Chapter 7 - Waiting to Exhale**

* * *

"Stella!" Mac gasps in horror, his mind racing at the knowledge that he left her at the mercy of Felix's partner in crime; her death forever haunting his already troubled conscience. With his only thought to get back to his partner, Mac doesn't see Felix Reite until the killer's body slams into his; forcing him up against the wall; Mac's lips offering an automatic grunt of pain as new sensations start to course through his weary frame.

"Get off me you bastard!" Mac growls.

"Aww who'd you leave her with Taylor?" Felix's foul breath hisses in Mac's right ear, before he yanks Mac by the elbows and pulls them back, trying to subdue him; forcing an added amount of pain to his already straining arm.

Knowing he cannot let himself be immobilized in any way, Mac places one of his feet on the wall before him, pushing back with all his might and forcing Felix's back to slam into the wall, his lips offering an angry curse as his grasp on Mac starts to wane. With his fingers still tightly wrapped around the handle of his gun, Mac fires off a shot, opening up a slice of skin on Felix's calf; forcing the deranged killer to once again curse in agony; his grasp on Mac finally loosening all the way.

Mac turns to offer the kill shot, but is met in the stomach with a hard fist, his lungs momentarily winded but allowing Felix to side step his second advance and push Mac backward toward the ground. Felix quickly twists himself around, pulls Mac by the bottom of his damp pant legs, pulling him toward Felix; his fingers already wrapped around the blade of his killing instrument.

Mac's sigh of relief is short lived as Felix raises the knife once more; sending it surging through the air with wicked speed but just before it can render a fatal blow, Mac rolls to the right and the blade only produces a small surface cut; nothing to signal to his brain to stop and check on. Mac's feet slams into Felix's shot leg, the killer's cursing yelp, echoing off the narrow hallway; a small tribute to the fact that he indeed is mortal afterall.

"Mac!"

However, Mac is momentarily distracted by Stella's frantic voice calling for help which enables Felix to twist himself away from Mac's legs, escape now feeding his brain. Mac turns back to Felix, catches him by the foot, sending him crashing back to the ground on his knees. Mac reaches for his cuffs, desperate to subdue the serial killer; his brain yelling at him to go and help Stella, her fate still unknown; gun on the floor and at his side.

"Nice try Taylor!" Felix shouts as he kicks back, catches Mac on the chin, forcing his head to snap back and the cuffs to clamor to the floor to the right; the gun sliding a few feet out of striking distance. But just before Felix can make another attempt on Mac's very existence, both he and Mac hear shouting heading in their direction, each pondering two very different situations.

"It's over Felix!" Mac growls as his fingers frantically try to grasp the guns and cuffs.

"Not over till your dead Taylor!" Felix rebuts with a merciless chuckle.

But before Mac can capture him, Felix lashes out at Mac once more, slicing open his shirt; leaving a bloody trail on the fabric, his chest spared any contact with the already crimson stained steel blade. Mac's body instinctively recoils, the sight of his own blood across his chest playing havoc with his superheated brain; his reflexes starting to wane a bit; concern for Stella taking firm root and his own demise flashing before his eyes.

"Detective Taylor!" Both Mac and Felix hear a voice calling to them.

Still armed with Stella's gun, Felix fires off a shot in the opposite direction; his body already up and on his feet, charging toward one of the guards that was coming to Mac's aide. Not caring about wiping a bloody smear on his sweat stained face, Mac brushes aside some dirt that had collected from his romp with Felix before he's up on his feet, hurrying to where he left Stella; this time knowing her life is his primary concern.

"Stella!" Mac shouts as he pulls the door open, his frantic eyes scanning the area before him. "What the hell?" He demands, her face nodding to his right. He turns and sees a few feet to his right a man now lying in a growing pool of blood; the second shot he heard.

"Mac," Stella's tormented voice immediately pulls his gaze away from the dead man to his partner, free and kneeling on the floor in the spot where he left her cuffed to a pole; a man carefully held in her arms; now host to the first shot he heard.

"You okay?" He asks in haste.

"I am but..."

"What" Mac's voice stops short as Stella's fingers slowly pull away a piece of fabric to reveal a hidden gunshot. "Jensen" Mac starts with misery. "Oh god no."

"Roger tried to...kill...your partner..." Jensen's voice strains; his breathing labored.

"The one you left cuffed to a pole," Stella hisses in a low voice through clenched teeth.

"Stella...I'm..."

"Save it for later Mac."

"Roger Neill? Your parnter?" Mac queries as he looks back down at Jensen. "Was he"

"Mac, spare the interrogation," Stella counters with a slight frown. "Jensen saved my life Mac by giving his," Stella informs her partner, her eyes inspecting his chest that is covered with the ribbon of blood and then moving to his face that holds visible evidence of his scuffle with Felix Reite. "Are you okay?"

"The knife only cut the fabric."

"Mac?"

"Stella, really I'm okay."

"Where is he?"

"Gone," Mac curses as his fingers rest on Stella's. "Stan you have to hang in there."

"Tell my...wife..." Jensen starts with a strained tone; Mac shaking his head in disagreement. "And my kids..."

"Shhh," Stella tries, her eyes, although threatening to glisten, holding back a myriad of tears; tears filled with hatred and regret. "You'll be just fine."

"I have to stop him," Mac tells them.

"Mac...don't," Stella tries only to have his fingers gently squeeze hers. She looks into his eyes; once again seeing remorse and longing; two strong emotions waging two very different wars within his conflicted brain right now. The longer their fleshly connection the stronger the bond; the feeling that tells her will die for her.

"This ends now," he promises her, looking down at Captain Jensen. "Just keep him safe. If you have taken out the man responsible for helping Felix Reite then you should be safe here. As soon as the phone works you call for help; tell them to send in the damn Marines if they have to, but keep him alive."

"And who the hell is going to keep you alive out there?" Stella retorts in anger.

"I refuse to allow Felix Reite to..."

"Mac your life is worth far more than" Stella lightly argues.

"There is no argument here Stella, I'm going to get him."

"At what cost?" She snaps. "Your life? Mine? His?"

"No more lives lost!"

"And what about your life! Mac...just don't..."

"I'll never let him hurt you or anyone else Stella."

"But..."

Mac's eyes slightly soften in remorse, his heart racing but his mind focused on only one course. All his life justice has for the most part dictated his professional actions; today being no exception. "No more Stella, this ends right now," he offers one last time he whispers in her ear as his lips brush her cheek, his eyes begging for acceptance and almost asking for closure before he pushes himself back up and races for the door, locking it behind him so that now Stella and Jensen have only one entrance to deal with.

"Damn you," she whispers with a dead curse.

"He...cares foryou..." Jensen manages as Stella's fingers ease up on the button to his walkie-talkie.

"I know."

"And...you..."

"I...what if he dies?" Stella counters; her face displaying an unseen wince, her mind in a fury as to who what Mac will face outside; taking Felix Reite on by himself. "I need to go and help him."

"My men..."

"You don't know Mac," Stella resigns as her walkie-talkie cracks to life.

"He wants...you to...stay..."

"You don't know me," Stella replies. "This is Detective Bonasera can anyone help..."

"I can help you," a voice from behind forces Stella's head to quickly snap to the right; her hand dropping the two-way and reaching for her gun; her eyes fixed on the large looming figure of Warden Miller. _Mac! _Her brain calls as the man they had once suspected of helping Felix Reite slowly makes his way toward them; Jensen's gun in her hand now trained on his every move.

"You can drop the gun Detective," Warden Miller growls. "I'm here to help!"

"When is the power coming back on?"

"Should be within the next fifteen minutes," Warden Miller answers, his eyes dropping to the still figure of Stanley Jensen. "Who did it?"

"I had at one time thought to ask you," Stella counters as she motions with her head toward the still body of a man who had tried to use a darkened passageway to end her life; a man who was the willing accomplice of Felix Reite. She watches Warden Miller slowly walk toward the fallen guard, Jensen's body tensing in her grasp. Her eyes drop down to Jensen and notices that fear has not left his eyes and apprehension still adorning his face like a weary mask.

"Damn it! Not surprised it was Neill."

"You knew?" Stella asks crossly.

"I had a hunch."

"Would have helped us sooner," she counters with a grimace as she watches Warden Miller turn and look down at them with a slight scowl.

"He'll be safer in my office."

"Are you sure?"

"I am."

"We can't move him," Stella insists.

"Sure we can," Warden Miller counters as he pulls his short range radio and calls for two medics to their location.

"Stella..." Jensen whispers softly.

"You just need to lie still," Stella instructs as they hear the frantic steps of four boot clad feet heading in their direction.

"Warden Miller..." Jensen tries, his breathing labored; his face wracked with pain, stained with sweat. "Don't...trust...him," he manages as the door behind them finally bursts open and two men rush in, gently pulling Stella back as they hurriedly attend to their fallen Captain.

Stella slowly pushes herself upright, her fingers still tightly clenched around the handle of Jensen's sidearm; hers still in the grasp of Felix Reite, a man who now holds the fate of her beloved partner in his grasp. Jensen's moans of agony quickly pull her eyes back down to a man she was almost ready to label a traitor; her partner's misguided thoughts almost cemented in her brain. After having tended to the wound, the medics cover Jensen with a heavy blanket and prepare him for transport, Stella constantly trying to get a hold of anyone on the short wave walkie-talkie.

She emerges behind the medics, Warden Miller leading the way to his office; his calls to his men to continue trying to get a military transport to the island always on the fore. She can't fault him for the show he's putting on; to the rest of the paid onlookers, Warden Miller is a man trying to save his right hand, not a man stalling for time and praying nature takes it's course; a bullet for Jensen and a watery grave for Reite.

Stella's nervous anxiety starts to rise as they head down a corridor where the prisoners are thankfully locked inside their cells; their calls and comments, however, free to attack her ears, forcing her fists to tighten and her stomach to churn. Just as she reaches the end of one of the cell blocks, the short wave walkie-talkie finally buzzes to life; carrying a voice over the static she's more than overjoyed to her.

"Don?"

"Stella are you okay?" Flack's voice asks in a static panic.

"No we need help. Where are you?"

"A few feet from the entrance to this place."

"How the hell did you get on the island?"

"Long story," he grumbles. "You and Mac okay?"

"No..." she starts as Warden Miller turns to her with an evil glint in his dark eyes.

XXXXXXXX

Mac races down another corridor, his heart starting to ache, his chest on fire and his head pounding. Part of his brain curses his very existence for leaving Stella, first of all cuffed and defenseless and then with only one sidearm in a darkened prison full of convicted felons; knowing inside that when this is over, he'll be facing more than just a tongue lashing from her. But the other part of his brain is on a determined mission; one that he vows will claim the life of Felix Reite before the sadistic murderer can claim any more victims to his name.

Mac pauses at the end of the hallway; a forked diversion now before him and his senses trying to pick up which path Felix might have travelled. He finally spies a smattering of fresh blood a few feet to his right; partially hidden by the shadows of the hallway but never fully eclipsed from the eyes of the trained CSI. Mac pushes himself toward the right, another gunshot ringing out in his ears, bouncing off the walls and slamming into him full force; another epitaph that Felix Reite has willfully written.

Mac continues down the dimly lit corridor; his feet finally stumbling upon the handiwork of Felix Reite, a single gunshot between the eyes of another guard; his own crime was being in the path of merciless serial killer. Knowing that it's Stella's gun that has delivered the fatal shot; he's glad his partner is with eye witnesses right now, thankful that even on backup power, some of the pivotal security camera's are still in working order. But as much as he wants to call for help, he knows that Felix is still at large and this mission incomplete. So he presses onward.

Mac nears a doorway at the end of the narrow hallway and stops, the silence finally being shattered by a small burst of sound; nearly bursting his eardrums thanks to the close proximity of the sound box. The short blasts start to signal that while the storm is still holding it's own outside; the power is finally starting to come back on inside.

Mac slowly pushes the door open, gun in hand, every sense heightened; his body on alert. He pushes the door open, only to have the storm smile down upon the puny human, thrusting forth it's invisible arms and slamming the door backward into the side of the darkened concrete building with such force that a few flecks of painted cement sprinkle to the ground; decorating the dark mud waiting to greet Mac's shoes; alerting his foe to his presence.

"Felix!" Mac grumbles under his breath as he sees a small dancing beam of light heading toward another small guard tower; praying that it is also empty or the men are alerted and the next gunshot he hears will be the one that finally takes down Felix Reite for good. As he nears the small building and hearing no shots Mac now wonders if the guards are either dead or have been pulled by the very man who has been helping Felix Reite all along; a traitor he intends to see brought to justice after Felix has been put six feet under.

Mac finally reaches the guard post and stops, his heart aching in his chest and his lungs on fire; heaving in cold damp air and pushing out with short labored breaths. Mac extends a cold hand, about to pull the door open when he hears another blaring noise; forcing him to lightly jump in place, his lips offer a gasp but his ears picking up a sound that the dying wind failed to cover.

Mac pivots on his left foot, his eyes watching as Felix heads for a group of trucks, stationed just outside the mechanical shop and wastes no time in giving chase; the end so close his only thought. Mac nears the shop, slowing his pace and allowing his eyes to blink away another myriad of angry raindrops; once again daring old man winter to come at him with something stronger than a few drops of water and a few gusts of wind.

But with the thunder slowing and the power starting to finally come back on, Mac feels his anxiety starting to quicken; sudden thoughts of something allowing Felix to slip away into the jungle of Manhattan and another body being found with his face attached to it.

Mac's eyes quickly look around; once again cursing the fact that no guards are to be seen, no one coming to his aide; his future still very much in the balance with Felix Reite calling the shots.

Mac stops just as he reaches the entrance to the mechanical shop, his right hand still tightly wrapped around the handle of his gun; his brain cursing his rapidly beating heart, fearing the sound has already given himself away. Taking a deep breath, Mac slowly pulls the door open, his flashlight at his side, but his eyes once again relying only on the emergency lighting that is now bathing the landscape before him in distorted hues of orange and black.

Hearing a soft whisper, Mac's eyes quickly divert to the right; his brain pondering if it's Felix or just something he used to lure Mac into a trap he must have set in haste. Mac steps into the building, slowly closing the door behind him; sealing out the blaring sounds from the sirens and the blasting gusts from nature.

He very carefully makes his way to the left; his fingers ready at a seconds notice to take down his elusive prey. He stops to listen, once again cursing his rapidly beating heart for the unnecessary noise, ensuring his listening wouldn't be without distraction.

He finally hears shuffling toward a door marked 'exit' and slowly, but carefully makes his way toward another passage that leads out of the classroom area; depositing him into a large auditorium littered with various vehicles of all shapes and sizes in various states of disrepair.

Mac's lips offer a slight curse as he squints into the room before him; bathed once again with an odd glow of orange and red. He starts to slowly move to the right; his nerves on edge and his finger ready at a seconds notice.

But just as he nears a large armored vehicle, something jumps out at his feet; his heart stopping short, a whispered gasp escaping his worried lips.

XXXXXXXX

Stella watches the two medics carefully lower Jensen to the waiting couch inside Warden Miller's office; her mind somewhat at ease now that help she can trust is on the way, but her suspicions still high, especially after Jensen's whispered warning.

Stella feels her nervous anxiety continuing to grow the longer Warden Miller continues his mindless pacing; finally heading for his office door and then disappearing outside, her lips offering a whispered sigh of relief. However her relief is short lived as she feels Jensen's fingers gently brush her leg she glances down into a scared expression.

"Watch...him," Jensen whispers, prompting Stella to kneel at his side.

"What do you know?"

"Money...debt."

"Who does he owe?"

"Carl...Fetuzzi."

"Damn it," Stella gently curses; the faces of one of New York's most notorious mob bosses coming to her mind in an instant. "How much?"

"Enough to...kill for."

"I'm not here to arrest him," Stella insists.

"Be...careful," Jensen mumbles as Stella hears loud footsteps heading in her direction. She readies Jensen's gun in her hands once more; the two medics now behind two other guards, all three ready just in case the people heading toward them had something other then help on their agenda.

"Stella!" Flack exclaims as he pushes the office door open and looks at his friend with a worried expression.

"Don!"

"Did Mac come back yet?"

"No and I have no idea where he could have gotten to but I know he needs help," Stella insists. "Take one of these and we'll..."

"I'm going after him."

"I'm coming with you Don," Stella tries.

"I would try to argue but I have given up arguing with women today."

"We always win," Jessica states wryly.

"Yeah big prize you've both won," Sully groans in sarcasm.

"Detective Sullivan," Stella arches a brow. "What did he offer you?"

"Told me he'd come back from the dead and haunt me," Sully looks at Flack who just smirks and shakes his head. "And yes I believed him. What do you need us to do?"

"We need to protect Jensen. He got shot, by who I hope is the only man that was aiding Felix Reite but Warden Miller is also not very happy that we are stuck here on his turf."

"He still in bed with the mob?" Sully inquires.

"You knew?" Jessica arches a brow.

"Sully has friends in low places," Flack counters as he fiddles with his walkie-talkie. "Okay I'm all set."

"I should be going with you," Sully suggests.

"Stay with Jensen," Flack directs with a worried expression as he looks back up at Stella. "The City is working to get the part of the bridge restored that was damaged in the storm. As soon as they do, they'll radio Jess that an ambulance is on its way; they got the message you relayed. The winds are still to high to chance anything that flies."

"How much longer can he last?" Jessica lightly nods to Jensen.

"He'll pull through," Stella turns and glances back at Jensen, offering him a weak frown, followed by a soft nod. "He has to. He's a good man and we need him."

"Go...get Mac," Jensen manages with a weak smile. "You need...him."

"Good advice," Flack nods his head as he pulls his rain slicker back on; his clothing faring just as well as the rest of the teams. Flack whispers a _'see you soon,'_ to Jessica before he and Stella rush back outside the room, heading for the front door with a few armed escorts at their disposal.

"Where do you think Felix went?" Flack calls over the continued warning blasts.

"Would have to be a place not guarded well," Stella replies as she turns and looks at one of the armed guards. "Where?"

"Could be either the mechanics shop, the exercise building and surrounding area or one the women's recreational facilities."

"Where are the other guards?" Flack nods toward a small structure nearby.

"Felix got them. And Warden Miller needs all the inside men to stay inside in case the power fails again or the back up also decides to quit," Stella answers with a glum expression. "We are out of time Don."

"I'll take whatever is on the left; it's a further distance. When is the power going to fully come back on?"

"Anytime now, we have to hurry."

Flack offers her one last nod of confirmation before he turns and rushes into the driving rain; two armed guards on either side; both ready for whatever form of action might be tossed their way. Stella heads in the opposite direction; praying that Mac is okay and that the only scene they'll rush in to witness will be Felix Reite's death. However, she knows that Felix won't give up without a fight to the death. _And neither will Mac. _

Just as Stella starts to run in the direction of her beloved partner, she was unaware that another unstable individual was heading toward her friend and their injured quarry.

XXXXXXXX

Mac's lips offer a slight gasp as a small rodent scurries past his feet; his eyes quickly diverting toward the area the rodent came from; wanting to know what intruder had forced it from its home.

"It's over Felix!" Mac states angrily as he takes another soggy step toward an open area; his wet shoes making small squishing sounds; sounds his ears are now aware of in such a quiet setting. He stops, hearing a similar squishing sound that is trying to mirror his own but is now out of step.

_"Felix," _Mac whispers as he chances another step.

"Hello Detective Taylor," Felix states in a low tone; making himself known.

Mac turns around in slow motion only to be met in the stomach with something very hard; sending him backward, the grasp on his gun starting to falter. He manages to keep his footing, bracing himself with his left arm on the wall behind him and then propelling himself forward into the waiting frame of Felix Reite.

Felix starts to stumble backward but manages to bring the hard instrument down on the right side of Mac's tender ribs, forcing Mac's grasp on his gun to weaken further.

Mac drops an elbow, pushes into Felix and sends them both careening backward into an old pickup; Felix's body slamming into the side with such force that the next sound they both were forced to hear was the tinkling of glass as the side mirror shattered on the ground.

Mac's left fist leaves its spot on the side of the truck and sails through the air toward, firmly planting itself on Felix's stubble clad jaw. Felix's head snaps backward onto the truck just as his knee comes up and catches Mac in the groin. Mac's body finally falters with the blow that weaken most men; allowing Felix to pounce, sending them both backward once again.

Mac's fingers finally loosen and a few seconds later a clatter is heard as the gun finally falls out of his grasp onto the floor and is kicked out of reach. Mac kicks his leg, catching Felix behind the knee and sending him forward into a set of tools. However, that turns out to lend Felix a helping hand, as his fingers tightly curl around the cold handle of a wrench before he lifts it into the air and catches Mac just above the left eye, opening up a small cut that forces his eyes to water immediately.

Mac's fingers quickly rise to his face, wiping away the blood and tears but impeding his sight long enough to allow Felix to trap him. Mac quickly twists around and dives for his gun just as Felix wraps a coil of rope around his feet and pulls; forcing Mac's damp body to slide backward on the floor.

Mac's frantic brain now concentrates on his getting away from the evil clutches of Felix Reite but at the same time picking up shouting from outside. Mac fires off a shot that flies off into the darkness ahead of him; embedding itself into the wall beside a large truck.

"You missed Taylor!" Felix mocks as he tugs Mac backward once again. Mac's fingers quickly drop the gun and scramble to hold onto anything that will impede his capture; praying that the shot was heard outside and indeed those voices were his ensuing salvation.

Mac finally latches himself onto a solid water pipe that is sticking out of the ground and yanks himself back; not caring about the straining he's putting on his weary arms or the fact that he's still in a vulnerable position.

"Always the hard way with you," Felix growls as he yanks Mac back by a handful of hair, his fingers letting go; his body feeling the painful effects down to his bound feet.

Mac flips over onto his side and punches Felix in the mouth, busting open his lower lip and spraying Mac's damp sweater with fresh blood. But already armed with another coil of rope; Felix crudely but quickly loops the harsh coils around Mac's wrists and arms, effectively tangling him up in the web of synthetic nylon.

"Damn it!" Mac softly curses, as his heart races with despair as he struggles in vain; trying to pull his wrists free. Felix's fingers leave Mac's bound wrists, grab a handful of sweater and start to drag him over to an area that isn't quite cluttered.

"Told you...Detective Taylor," Felix starts in a low mocking tone. "We would...have our...one on one."

"They heard that shot Felix!" Mac growls as he continues to pull against the crude bindings. He feels give but wonders if he'll be able to get his hands free before he becomes the next victim and Stella's worst fears about him being the next crime scene actually come to fruition.

"No one is coming to your rescue!" Felix shouts as he deposits Mac's writhing form behind a large delivery truck, looming over him with an evil glint in his eye; his fingers slowly moving behind his back and then extracting a weapon that seems to glow in the dark.

Mac's eyes fix on instrument of death; his mind hearing the screams of men just before Felix Reite silences them with a few skillful strokes.

"Any last words?" Felix smiles as he slowly kneels down beside Mac's struggling frame.

"Go to hell!" Mac offers in anger as he tries to pull his wrist free.

"Been there...now it's your turn. How about a little taste first?"

His fingers grasp one of Mac's captive wrists; resting the sharp edge of the blade, forcing Mac's futile struggles to cease for a few seconds. However, Felix does succeed in sliding the edge of the unique blade along the top of Mac's arm; Mac's lips offering a painful gasp as he tries to squirm away from Felix's grasp; his eyes watching the skin slide open. His bound legs kick out but only succeed in moving himself backward a bit, but not out of reach.

"Time to do some real damage," Felix smiles as he leans in closer.

But just before he can open a slice on Mac's heaving chest, both he and Mac hear the first outer door slam open; Stella and the two armed guards have finally breached the building.

"Mac!" Stella's voice shouts.

"Damn that bitch!" Felix curses under his breath.

_Stella! _Mac's brain offers as he narrows his gaze at his captor, his lips almost daring a smug smile of defeat. However, Felix wasn't about to give up without a fight, so all Mac could do continue to struggle when Felix pushes himself up, grabs Mac by the back of the sweater and starts to drag his thrashing body behind an armored truck in repair.

Mac's fingers once again try in vain to grasp at anything that he can use to slow Felix's attempts at ending his life; his mind calling out to his partner to hurry. The blade thankfully only slashes through sweater, opening a small nick of skin but not causing permanent damage.

"Felix Reite!" One of the guards calls out, halting Felix's actions just before the blade could offer a bloody decoration to Mac's chest.

"Time to die Taylor!" Felix grins as he yanks up Mac's sweater and presses the sharp blade down on Mac's chest; smiling at the small smattering of fresh blood the first cut made. Mac's brain screams in pain as the blade opens a thin slice; but his mind also telling him not to yell; not to give in and that Stella hasn't failed him yet.

Felix presses down...

Mac feels a warm trickle starting to slide down his skin...

The knife insertion increases...

Mac's heart races at top speed...

"Mac?" Stella shouts a few feet away as the knife quickly pulls back from its present path.

"Stella!" Mac yells in pain as he watches the blade from belly up toward his heart.

"Told you...she wouldn't be able to help you...this time," Felix taunts as he goes in for the kill; the blade end about to plunge into his heart. "Scream for me Taylor...just like the rest. One last time."

"Never. Your time is up Felix!"

"You go...I go..."

Mac looks at him in defiance, his body ready for the pain and his mind yelling at him not to give the mad man what he wants; he'll not send Felix to his death with any kind of satisfaction. His eyes follow the crimson stained blade; his heart rate nearing critical; his life about to end.

The knife silently cuts through the air; the vulnerable organ it's only target; wicked laughter filling the air and then...

Silence.

Mac's eyes close for a split second; his life in the balance; before the sound of a gunshot shatters the silence; destiny on hold for a few seconds longer.

* * *

**A/N**: One more chappy to go and I hope you all are still liking it. Thanks again you guys are keeping the muse going. LOVE YOU ALL!!


	8. The Calm After the Storm

**Title: Escape from Rikers Island  
****Chapter 8 - The Calm After the Storm**

**A/N: as always a HUGE THANK YOU to the following peeps who left awesome reviews. Stardust585; StellaBonaseraTaylor; Timeforachange; AMacCSINewYorks; kaidiii; Divinia Serit; Katy Bones; Smacked-for-life; blackrose538; kat's in the cradle; rocksmacked; HoshiHikari; snow6835; catulicious; jaamiee; WildWeasel; Sucker-4-smacked; gsr4ever15; x-natalie-x; CSI-ncis; SMackedFan; wsc Magica De Spell; JillSwinburne; Phantom of the Tinman; CSI kan; sophia923; Marnic; talkstoangels77; Smacked Hard; crazy-hot; nienna tinehtele; Leighton Conrad Taylor; Abigail: yoto-ziva-blye; da-doink-doink; lilkenny; neuhuli**

**If I forgot anyone then I am truly sorry and THANK YOU it wasn't intentional. Hope you like this ending. **

* * *

Everything had happened in slow motion.

Despite the pain he was feeling, Mac twisted himself just enough; straining his bound wrists and already torn arm to reach for the gun that he had used earlier. His fingers grasp it just as Felix turns him back, the knife tip at his heart. He hears Stella shouting but knows he has to take the shot. Just as his finger eases back on the trigger; his bullet already lined up and leaving the chamber another shot is heard.

Mac feels his whole body instinctively jerk from the sound of the gunshot, his ear drums about to shatter and his heart about to give up. But when his eyes watch Felix's body absorb the bullet instead of his own, an instant prayer of gratitude is immediately offered from his frantic brain. Mac's weary stupor is forced back to his tormented reality by a foul curse from the lips of Felix Reite as blood starts to flow from his right side; the knife clattering to the floor and space around them now filled with three other bodies; two armed guards and his one savior, his beloved partner.

Felix's body slams downward onto Mac's, forcing Mac's lips to offer a grunt; both their views onceagain obscured from Stella's vision thanks to the barrage of vehicle parts in front of them. Felix's evil dark eyes glare at Mac, the flashes of lighting flashing images of haunted victims for Mac to feast upon; his own bloody corpse being displayed with the next bout of lighting, the eerie orange glow from the emergency lights adding a twisted aura to Felix's already demented expression.

"It's over..." Felix mumbles as Mac struggles to get him off; Felix's weight still keeping him captive underneath.

"For you!" Mac snaps as the gun falls from Mac's hand.

"Never..."

"Stella!" Mac tries with a slight gasp; fuelling Stella's terror stricken brain with one last desperate plea for help.

"Mac! Damn it move!" Stella curses as she hurries toward them; hoping to finish off Felix for good.

Driven on by pure evil hatred for the man beneath him and his very existence in general, Felix's bloody fingers scramble for the knife, his blood spilling over onto Mac's chest and bound arms and wrists. With Felix's weight on his arms, his hands unable to grasp the gun once more, his brain starts to send panicked bursts of adrenaline through his body; a surge of energy that forces Felix's rapidly dying corpse to roll to the side, their legs still tangled.

"Not..over...Taylor," Felix wheezes as his blood and nicotine stained fingers curl around the blade and send it backward, opening up a small hole in Mac's dirty sweater; a small slice of skin but missing anything vital.

"Mac!"

"Stella, take the shot!" Mac demands as Stella rounds the corner of the large truck just as Felix's writhing body manages to twist around and aim for Mac's heart.

The blade of the knife manages to make a small prick in Mac's skin, diving through folds of sweater and undershirt but not having the driving force behind the action as Stella's bullet embeds itself in the back of Felix's head; killing him instantly and sending him slamming back onto Mac's stomach; the knife clattering to the floor for the last time.

"Mac!"

"You got...him Stella," Mac manages with a slight pant, his arms still bound but now flailing in the air for help, small droplets of fresh blood starting to decorate various areas of his dust and debris cloaked sweater.

"We both did," she tells him in truth.

"Help me!" Stella orders the two men beside her; both of them quickly taking an end of Felix Reite, pulling him off Mac and then one making sure he's down for good while the other calls for an ME transport carrier; wanting nothing more than to rid the world of the existence of the sadistic serial killer.

"Mac," Stella gasps as she quickly kneels at his side, her eyes rapidly blinking away excess salty water, not wanting to show any weakness to any man in the room around her. Her fingers fumble with the crude knots, thankful that she doesn't have to pick up or use the nearby instrument that nearly ended Mac's life to free him. She looks at the blood on his chest from the knife and her heart races near critical. "Oh god Mac..."

"Stella I'm..."

"Hold on a sec Mac," Stella whispers as she feels his fingers gently press down on hers, forcing her eyes look up and lock with his.

"Stella I'm okay now," he assures with a strained smile; his mind and heart still racing with horrible images of his own demise. "You saved my life."

"I guess we are even."

"Pardon?" Mac asks with a frown.

"You saved mine earlier," she reminds him.

"Stella..."

His eyes watch a silent tear form and threaten to slide down her face; his brain cursing his captive state for being unable to reach up and brush it aside. However, as he hears Flack's voice calling out to them as he nears, he knows it's not the time or the place for a public display of affection and quickly shelves his romantic notion and allows Stella to finish untying him. She gently presses down on his injured arm; the area where the fresh stitching had ripped open and the wound was now vulnerable to touch. But when his lips offer a painful gasp, her eyes are quick to dart in her fingers direction.

"Felix reopened the wound."

"Let me see."

"I'm okay."

"Stop being so damn stubborn," she lightly curses.

"But you...."

"I'm okay," she borrows his line, making him wince. "That's how I feel when you hand it to me."

"Right."

"You need to get some help first."

"I'm sor..." Mac is interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Mac!" Flack states a little out of breath as he reaches them, his face flush and mottled with rain from the storm outside. "When..." he starts just as the power starts to flicker back on. "Thank God," he huffs as he gazes down at the bloody mess around Mac's body; the ME transport team working with the guards to help get Felix Reite's corpse ready for transport off the Island. "Is that from..." Flack starts.

"Felix," Stella answers. "Mac is okay."

"I'm okay," Mac assures them as he finally rubs some life back into his chaffed wrists. His eyes start to examine the cut on his wrist, a small reminder of what Felix Reite was almost allowed to get away with. He feels Stella's fingers lightly trembling and still cold as they gently examine the cut on his stomach, moving a bit lower toward his belly button and he feels his skin automatically shiver. "Just a few surface cuts. Nothing deep."

"Sorry," she states in whispered sorrow as his smooth flesh displays shiver bumps at her touch; her mind still trying to drown out Mac's screams mixed with Felix's laughter as he plunges the knife into Mac's heart, taking her from him. "Dr. Adams won't be happy to see you twice in two days," she notes with a mildly sarcastic tone as she slowly pulls his dress shirt and sweater back down, praying the crude bandage holds until he can be properly tended to.

"I don't think I need..."

"Statements like that suggest you aren't thinking," Stella lightly snaps, forcing Flack to turn and look at her in wonder.

"She's pissed because I left her."

"Cuffed to a pole," Stella hisses with a twinge of resentment. "While _you_ went after Felix alone."

"I'm not dead am I?"

"Not by _his hands_," she threatens, prompting Flack to just lightly shake his head.

"And Sully gets after Jess and I for our heated foreplay."

"Pardon?" Mac arches his brows.

"What?" Stella states at the same time.

"Are you suggesting that..." Mac starts.

"You are way off in that..." Stella tries.

"Sorry guys, the dumb routine doesn't work with me," Flack smirks as he watches both Mac and Stella slowly stand up. "I know you both too well. You can fool the rest but not me; oh and not Jess either.

"We don't do dumb," Mac's lips respond with a heavy sigh as he looks at his friend's weary expression with a mild frown of annoyance. "And that wasn't foreplay."

"I am pissed at him for leaving me defenseless!" Stella growls; Mac not daring to turn and look at her, knowing his actions garnered her wrath.

"And I was trying to explain I had no choice."

"Sure," Flack replies, offering both his friends a knowing nod of approval. "I have to get back and check on Jess. I left her with Warden Miller. "

"We still have to deal with him," Stella frowns.

"His shady dealings are not part of this investigation; at least not right now," Flack states. "We got Felix's accomplice so we'll put this all to rest first."

"Roger Neill right? The man that Jensen shot, while trying to_ protect me_?" Stella asks Flack and then shoots Mac a sideways glance. "His partner?"

"That's him; apparently Roger Neill is Felix's half brother; a heritage he managed to keep hidden until Danny happened upon a stray print tied to an unrelated matter. Just so happens that when he ran them, he matched them to our latest murder vic and we got a confirmed hit. And Lindsay checked with Staff Personnel and Roger Neill was off each day a murder was committed. We just never checked because up until today Neill wasn't a person of interest."

"It was him, not Jensen who had that room unlocked and the supplies such as the boat and wire cutters waiting," Mac ponders.

"Not to mention the knife that he used. Odd because Warden Miller also had the same knife," Stella frowns as the three of them slowly head toward the entrance of the auto maintenance building.

"It was a replica for court," Flack informs them. "For some kind of reenactment."

"Why?" Stella inquires.

"His attorney is Nelson Sweeny."

"Enough said," Stella huffs. "Mr. Hollywood wanna be himself."

"But Warden Miller had us going on another angle," Flack states.

"Such as?" Mac asks.

"Danny found that Warden Miller closed his file. Turns out this Judas Priest guy also owed Warden Miller a huge gambling debt," Flack explains. "We found that Warden Miller told Roger Neill in an email that Priest was some no good loser and wanted to get even, tongue in cheek and Neill probably figured this was a good guy to target who..."

"Seemed to fit the profile of the men that Felix Reite was killing," Stella adds. "He took it literally and killed him."

"Right and then we found..." Flack continues.

Mac listens to the rest of Flack's explanation, trying to push aside images of his grisly demise and the pain his body is now being forced to feel now that the adrenaline is starting to really wear off.

"I really thought for a moment it was Jensen," Stella ponders. "I'm glad he'll have his justice for his brother in law."

"That's why he wanted me to pull the trigger," Mac adds. "How did you get on this Island with the bridge partially washed out? You didn't drive."

"Trust me you don't want to know," Flack grins.

"An even bigger miracle was getting Jessica and Sully to accompany you."

"What?" Mac asks in shock. "Both of them? Are you serious? How?"

"As I said before...you don't want to know. But stay away from Sully."

"Me? Why?" Mac wonders.

"He thinks you're a bad influence on me."

"He is," Stella teases Mac who simply shakes his head in disbelief. "Where is Jessica?"

"Speaking of Jessica...see you guys back at Warden Miller's office," Flack tells them as he pulls his rain slicker tighter around him once more and then turns and rushes back toward the main building; thankful that the lights were back on the pounding rain had started to ease a little.

Mac watches Stella as she slowly zips up her rain slicker, stopping her actions and forcing her to turn and look at him once more; her emerald orbs trying so desperately to hold back salty tears; his heart sick in an instant. And despite his own pain, when he sees the look on her face her pain becomes his.

"Don't," she quickly holds up her hand. "Please Mac, not here."

"I am sorry I left you. It was not my intention," Mac mentions in torment.

"You didn't have time to think?"

"Stella..." Mac's lips emit a heavy sigh. "You're right I didn't; I just charged after Felix with only one thought on my mind."

"Revenge," Stella manages in a soft whisper.

"But when I heard the shot...and then the scream...and Felix's words...what he said about you.." his voice trails off as Stella's fingers gently brush his cheek.

"Did you not think that I was just as worried about you chasing after him when he had my gun? Or when I heard that shot?"

"Stella I'm...what? That was _your_ gun?"

"You didn't know? That was my gun he used," Stella informs him sourly; forcing Mac's face to automatically wince as her hand withdraws. "Why do you think I was so angry? I had no way to defend myself."

"I didn't know," Mac tries again. "Stella I'm..." he tries as she presses her finger to his lips.

"At least we're even."

"How so?" Mac inquires as he gently removes her hand and wraps his around it; adding some much needed heat to both of them.

"You left me cuffed and nearly shot and I found you bound because of a shot," her lips slightly twitch. "Should have left you like that and just hauled your ass to prison and let you stay in a cell overnight. Make you think about your actions."

"My actions?" Mac asks in his defense. "I didn't..."

"You really want to go there now? I'm hungry, tired, wet and basically pissed at you," she states lightly. "I'm not a woman to push closer to the edge right now with a stupid argument about your macho heroics."

"Good point," Mac gently frowns. "Will you forgive me?" He asks with a slight smile.

"Maybe."

"Okay."

"Come on Mac, you can make it up to me later."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Oh I'll think of something," she states with a placid expression.

"Why don't I get the feeling I'll enjoy it?"

Without saying a word Stella turns to him with a slight smile before she simply offers him a slight nod and then turns to head toward Warden Miller's office where she hopes Captain Stanley Jensen has already left; transport off the island already arranged for the man who saved her life.

Mac walks a few feet behind Stella; taking to note her tense posture and fists as they curl and uncurl every few minutes. _Stella I'm sorry, _his brain calls out as he feels the biting rain continuing to sting his scraped cheek. Part of him wants more than anything to just take her into his arms, force her to feel his sorrow and passion and then ensure she knows she's more than just a part of his life. _I'd deserve the cold shoulder treatment for a month, _he laments, his shoulders heaving a weary sigh; sagging under the weight of the damp sweater and rain soaked slicker.

They near the main door the Taylor building and once again Mac feels his nervous apprehension starting to build. While he's happy that Felix is dead, his accomplice also going to be six feet under and Jensen has his justice; he does wonder about sensational cases that always spawn a myriad of wannabe's seeking their fifteen minutes of fame in any way they can.

By the time they reach the front door to the Taylor building both Mac and Stella watch Jensen being carefully packed into a transport that will take him to the bridge and then carried to the other side where an ambulance is already waiting to take him to the hospital.

"Wait a sec," Mac calls out as he hurries to Jensen's side and looks down at the placid expression of the semi-conscious prison captain. "Stan, Felix is dead. We are all safe now and you have your justice."

"Thank you. Told you...you are...crazy," Jensen manages in a soft tone as he looks past Mac to see Stella behind him. "Hell of a...partner there. She...cares...for you."

"I know. Take him," Mac finally instructs as he watches them place a light cover over Stanley Jensen's face to shield him from some of the rain as they load him into a transport truck and then head into the night; the mouth of the Buono bridge their next destination.

"Let's get inside for now," Stella's soft fingers rest on Mac's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Mac turns and looks at her with a tormented expression; the wind and rain now having washed away most visible traces of Felix Reite, the scraped skin needing a bit more than a few angry rain drops to wash his stain away.

"I wish I could have stopped this sooner," Mac utters in misery, his hair pasted to his head, eyelashes matted with frigid rain and his fingers like ice; however when her fingers dare to reach out, her skin latching onto his; his right side immediately warms.

"We need to get inside."

Mac offers a simple nod as both turn and head inside only to bear witness to Flack and Warden Miller embroiled in a heated argument.

"Don't even ask," Jessica groans as she walks up to them; offering Stella modest hug of relief and Mac a simple touch of the shoulder.

"When are you leaving?" Stella inquires.

"Right now," Sully grumbles as he marches up to them.

"Sully what happened?" Mac nods toward Flack and Miller.

"Hell if I should know but I think it has something to do with Miller locking Reite's file without permission and putting up several roadblocks to Neill's file which is why we didn't find his prints a month back," Sully frowns as he looks at Jessica.

"What was his excuse?" Mac asks.

"That he was worried Neill would blackmail him for the gambling debts so they made a trade. Neill said he needed his file blocked because he was having an affair and didn't want his days off to be noticed in exchange for not telling anyone about the threats against Priest and a few others," Sully continues.

"Cozy," Jessica groans.

"I'm leaving right now. I'll catch a ride with one of the City guys on the other side."

"Is the road fixed?" Stella asks in haste; eager to get away from the reminders of their near death ordeal.

"You can walk across."

"We have a SWAT Hummer waiting on the other side. You can ride back with us," Jessica tells Mac and Stella as they finally watch Flack issue Warden Miller his last warning and then turn and head toward them.

"Oh and Taylor?" Sully starts..

"Yeah I heard I'm a bad influence."

"On his mind and my health," Sully grumbles.

"Don?" Mac asks as he notes his friends perplexed expression. "What was that all about?"

"We'll deal with him later; that was just a _friendly _warning."

"Friendly?" Jessica arches a brow. "You have been hanging around Sully too long."

"I am going to remedy that right now. And the next time you come up with some hair brained idea to cross a raging river in the middle of a monsoon on a half ass rescue mission, don't call me," Sully just shakes his head as he looks over to one of the prison guards and then heads in his direction; both of them then disappearing out the door into the storm; Warden Miller already heading back toward his office, not caring about the NYPD party that was still lingering.

"Storm has slightly abated," Mac mentions under his breath as his fingers reach for his phone. "Cell service is still down."

"Island was the top priority for the City but only for power," Flack informs them as he and Jessica prepare to brave the elements.

"Danny left the other Avalanche at the hospital for you to..." Jessica starts.

"No one here needs..." Mac starts only to have Stella look at him with a pained expression.

"Sorry Mac, but this time I'm not on your side," Flack smirks as he looks at Jessica with a weak grin. "Ready?"

"Long ago," Jessica replies in haste.

Mac looks at Stella and offers her a small shrug; his brain wanting to insist that he just go home and relax not wanting another trip to the ER to face the romantic firing squad in the shape of his friend Dr. Adams and his partner Stella; the amazing woman at his side.

As he watches Stella slowly reach for the door handle his mind once again replays terrifying images of her fighting Felix and then forces him to hear her screams when he left her cuffed in that room; her fate unknown for a few terrifying minutes. But through it all she was at his side, fighting to the death as he was, never giving up and then saving his life when he needed it most.

She finally turns to face him, her expression one of fatigue and relief, her eyes watery but certain and her posture weary but firm. "What?" She dares to ask; seeking a reason for the strained expression his face is displaying to her in return. Mac stops them walking, not caring about the rain still assaulting them from either side; his mind need to tell her.

"I have fought alongside many brave men in battle," Mac starts as his fingers slowly reach out and take hers, holding them for the added assurance his heart needs right now. "But I have never been prouder to call you my partner than today."

Stella's lips automatically curl upward; rewarding him with a beaming smile; her expression seeming to instantly light up the darkness around them. Her fingers tighten his, giving his frigid skin an added boost of warmth; no further words needed. Both turn and head after Don and Jessica, nearing the gaping mouth that the City is still frantically working to close.

"How the hell did you get across this?" Mac demands in a loud tone.

"Don't ask!" Jessica shouts back and Mac simply shakes his head and then looks at Stella with a frown before holding out his arm to allow her to go first.

Unlike their first attempt to cross, the city has managed to fortify one of the sides a bit more than the other, so the path back isnt the treacherous affair it was a few hours earlier. Mac watches Don go across first and then help Jessica and Stella to safety; his eyes casting one last glance at the daunting fortress behind him; his mind shutting out for good the screams that Felix Retie's short reign of terror produced.

"Mac!" Flack calls to him from across the narrow gorge. Mac wastes no time in putting on the harness and getting himself across the raging river, offering a small nod of thanks to the men working tirelessly to restore the bridge before he joins his partner and the rest of the team in the dry Hummer; the ER their next destination.

Much of the ride to the ER is spent in quiet conversation and morose reflection; none really wanting to ponder the reality of what things would be like if Felix was now alive and just waiting to extract his revenge. Stella glances over at Mac, noting his tense posture, his clenched fists and furrowed brow and wonders how he's managing the screams in his head; probably still seeing his own demise at the hands of his now deceased nemesis.

_'You could be next...'_ she remembers pondering when Mac was first called to go and visit Felix Reite. But when she heard the first shot and then his frantic call for help; her world threatened to stop in that moment. Wanting more than anything to reach out and assure him that his nightmares won't have to be shared alone, she's not sure how he'd react to their two friends in the front of the Hummer having knowledge of something to intimate.

_Mac would probably withdraw further, _she inwardly laments. But once her brain registers his heavy sigh, sees his posture start to sag, her fingers start to slowly make their way toward his, gently grasping them; her brain thankful when he doesn't pull away.

Mac feels the right side of his tense frame start to warm slightly; his mind reveling in the delightful feeling of Stella's soft skin now melding with his. He turns and offers her a slight smile; once again no words needed in the quiet cabin to convey what they were both thinking; the nightmare was over and they were happy to be alive and together.

Mac's mind once again starts to race with anxiety as they near the ER. As much as he knows he wants Dr. Adams to attend to him; he's hoping and praying he'll be spared the rightly deserved tongue lashing, the one Stella has so far held back on showering him with; one he knows he deserves.

"You need any help with getting Mac into the ER?" Flack teases as he brings the Hummer to a stop beside the front doors to the ER.

"No," Mac replies with a heavy sigh as he looks at Flack with arched brows. "Do you have the keys?"

"See you guys tomorrow," Flack responds as he hands Mac the keys to the waiting Avalanche and then waits until they leave before turning to Jessica with a serious expression. "Are you okay?"

"Nothing a hot shower and an hour long massage from you won't cure," she replies with a '_come hither' _smile.

"That I will happily arrange," Flack answers in haste as he turns the Hummer back toward the NYPD building; his apartment their next stop. Flack catches a glance of his two friends in the rear view mirror, Mac's fingers giving Stella's hand a gentle squeeze; his distraction not lost on his partner.

"Don, everything okay?"

He turns back to her with his own warm smile and nods. "Everything is going to be just fine now. Let's go home."

"You feel nervous," Stella notes as Mac's fingers quickly disengage as they watch Dr. Adams walking toward them with a stern expression.

"Feel like I am about to face my father for something I did wrong," Mac admits with a heavy frown as Dr. Adams approaches and stops. Mac holds up his hand and just shakes his head. "Ben, don't start."

"Two visits in two days Mac...you expected me to say nothing?"

"I didn't..."

"I see he still hasn't learned how to play nice with the other children," Dr. Adams teases in a light tone as he folds his arms across his chest. "And let me guess if she wasn't here you would have gone home and probably just bled out?"

"Actually it's not his blood, but in any other situation you'd be right," Stella quips.

"The two of you are going to be the death of my mental sanity," Mac lightly moans as he looks at Stella with remorse. "I would have come here on my own."

"You are so lying," Stella retorts.

"Come now you two, finish the foreplay at home," Dr. Adams scolds with a smile.

"What?" Stella asks in shock.

"Pardon?" Mac arches his brows.

"We are not..."

"This wasn't..."

"Sure," Dr. Adam smiles. "I wasn't born yesterday. Stella you okay?"

"Just a few scratches that..."

"Now you sound like him," Dr. Adams sighs. "Go and see Jenny, she'll clean you up and then you can come an join us when you are ready."

"I'll wait out here when I am done," Stella tells Mac, her fingers giving his arm a gentle squeeze.

"Stella, I don't mind if you come in," Mac assures her with a warm smile. "Should be used to it by now."

"I suppose that's true. I'll be out here."

"Be right back," Mac replies as he turns and heads toward Dr. Adams private room. "Ben I am fine really."

"Yeah you say that all the time Mac. Now how much of that blood is really yours?"

"Honestly not that much," Mac huffs as he slowly removes the soiled sweater and then damp undershirt. "Just a few surface cuts."

"It's amazing you didn't catch Pneumonia," Dr. Adams grumbles as he looks up and sees Stella watching. His eyes lock with hers, trying to offer anything in the way of a sympathetic expression; hers offering misery and sorrow at her partner's battered state.

"Course you know if you did catch Pneumonia I know of a nurse that makes house calls."

"No thanks and I'm fine," Mac winces as Dr. Adams gently pulls out the ripped stitching and bits of fabric that are dancing with the chewed up flesh that he had tended to the night before. "Not really my thing."

"Name is Stella Bonasera. Course why she'd help a stubborn bastard like you is sometimes beyond me," Dr. Adams offers with a kind smile. "Do you know how lucky you are?"

"How do I tell her Ben? She saved my life tonight...she uh..." Mac's voice trails off as he looks up and locks eyes with his partner; this time not caring that he's half dressed and seemingly vulnerable before her. "How do I ever thank her? Make her realize what she means to me?"

"Like this," Dr. Adams said lifting Mac's face to his. "You tell her point blank. Should be easy for you, you're a straight forward kinda guy," Dr. Adams smiles. "Now lay back and let me tend to those cuts."

Mac slowly eases himself down onto the small examining bed, his eyes once wandering back up toward the small window to see if Stella is watching; seemingly captured by morbid fascination. She is and just the small crease from her eyes is enough to ease his tension for a few minutes.

Dr. Adams mumbles away to Mac as he works to clean the various cuts from Felix's knife and then the scrapes from the duel on the rocks. He glances down at the younger man on his table; once again noticing that his eyes are nowhere near the actions Dr. Adams's is offering, they are involved in an invisible tango with the woman so faithfully watching.

"She could have come in," Dr. Adams almost whispers.

"She's mad at me."

"Does she have reason?"

"A few," Mac replies with a weary frown, looking up at Dr. Adams with a miserable gaze. "And it nearly cost both of us."

"I guess you don't need me to lecture you on the intricacies of romance."

"Romance?" Mac asks with a slight smirk. "Ben I don't think you'd call what we have..."

"Romance?" Dr. Adams interrupts. "What would you call it then? Ten years of foreplay?"

"I...right," Mac stops when he sees his friend offer him a warm smile, followed by a soft shoulder squeeze.

"She's the one Mac."

"I don't know if that's what she wants."

"Just ask. You'd be surprised at how open women are with their feelings," Dr. Adams winks, forcing Mac to just shake his head and then turn it to lock eyes with his partner once more. Mac sees her perfect lips reward his tormented expression with a warm smile and instantly his heart is at ease.

"Well nothing a hot shower and a good nights sleep won't fix," Dr. Adams starts. "And the love of a good woman."

"Ben..."

"Take care of that arm Mac. Already to go home," Dr. Adams finishes his cleaning and hands Mac back the sweater he came with. "And hopefully not alone."

Mac slowly pulls the dirty sweater back on; opting for the added warmth as opposed to the flimsy hospital cover-up that Dr. Adams had offered him instead. Dr. Adams places a warm hand on his back but offers no further words, just as a simple nod to Stella and then quietly takes his leave; allowing Stella to slip into the room and stand before Mac with gently folded arms.

"Are you going to live?" Stella lightly quips.

"Am I?" Mac counters as he slowly stands up and faces her with a slight frown. "Are you okay?"

"Just like you I take a lickin' and keep on tickin'," she tosses at him. "I'm fine."

"Stella..."

"He missed a spot," Stella whispers as her fingers gently brush away a piece of dirt that was still attached to Mac's rough cheek. Mac's fingers quickly close over Stella's, capturing her hand on the side of his face, ensuring her flesh warms instantly under his touch.

"Stella, I'm so..." he starts only to have her other finger gently press against his lips.

"I know you are," she finishes.

Mac takes both her hands and grasps them in his, bringing them to his lips and planting a warm kiss on them. "I am sorry for leaving you in that room."

"Ready to go?"

"You are determined to make me pay for that aren't you?"

"Every second I can," Stella counters with a slight smile as she loops her arm through Mac's and both head toward the front door of the ER. Once they reach the doors and are greeted by a new face of winter they stop and stare ahead in wonder.

"Snow?" Mac asks in surprise as he turns and looks at Stella with a slight frown.

"Better than what we had a few hours earlier."

"I'll take you home first," Mac informs her as he pulls out the keys Don had given him earlier and then heads for the truck; Stella standing in place. Mac reaches the front of the truck and then turns back to look at her in wonder. Even now, her face slightly decorated with dirt, her clothes askew and her hair now dotted with fresh flakes of snow; his heart still manages to miss more than one solid beat.

"You don't want to go home?"

"I want to drive."

"I don't mind driving."

"You can hardly stand," Stella lightly argues as she nears him; her heart also beating a bit faster; his boyish innocence always having that effect on her. "I am driving and that's final. Keys?"

"Stella..." Mac tries as he holds out his hand for her to take.

"Give me the keys Mac."

"I am driving."

However, much to his surprise and being totally caught off guard, he wasn't prepared for her to grab his hand, slap a cuff on it; spin him around and trap the other just like it behind his back.

"Stella!" Mac hisses. "What the hell?" He demands as he tries to pull himself free.

Without saying a word, Stella's fingers latch onto his arm and start to pull his lightly protesting body toward the warm and private confines of the waiting Avalanche. Mac tries to twist himself around, wanting to put an end to her silly actions; but is unsuccessful. Stella pulls the back door open and tries to get him inside.

"Why are you fighting with me Mac?"

"I'm cuffed."

"I had warned you twice I'd do this. Not my fault that you didn't listen."

"I didn't think that..."

"Inside Mac."

"I'm not going," Mac insists as he pulls himself free and glares at her. "What are you doing?"

"Making you pay."

"Could have just scolded me a little further."

"Alright fine. I'm done listening to your self appointed martyr tactics Mac Taylor. Now you can come home or you can stay here and try to get some help. But I have the key to the truck, your apartment..." she pauses as she leans in closer and places a hand on his waist before moving a bit lower, her fingers going in search of his keys and then retrieving them; holding them up with a triumphant smile. "And I have the key to your freedom. The choice is yours Mac."

Mac leans back against the cold body of the cab and allows his body a heavy exhale, his eye begging hers for some kind of merciful reprieve.

"My way or the highway Mac," she informs him with a slight smile.

"I have no choice do I?"

"Well I'm sure Dr. Adams could help you find some cutters. Would love to hear you explain that to him."

"Fine you win," Mac resigns with a slight smile of his own.

"Oh I knew you wouldn't be that mad at me," Stella tells him in truth as her body presses into hers a bit further, her nose resting on his. "Your nose is cold," she whispers as her cool lips brush his; her heart now racing with added anticipation.

"So is yours," Mac counters, his heart rate matching hers.

"Come on handsome, lets get you someplace warm," Stella recommends as she helps him into the back of the Avalanche, closes the door and then hurries around to the front; wanting to fill the cabin with warm air for them as soon as possible.

Mac leans back on the soft leather seats and feels is body just naturally sag further into the plush covering. He shifts slightly but his lips have to curl further as his brain feeds his tired mind sexually charged images; Dr. Adams words further fuelling his weary fantasy. He hears Stella slightly muttering to herself and finally feels his body starting to full relax. _'Ten years of foreplay...you two and your foreplay...'_

"Mac?" Stella's soft voice breaks his thoughts and forces his eyes away from the blank stare outside to a curious glance in her direction. "You warm enough?"

"Almost," he replies in truth as he slightly shifts in his seat. "Are you going to ask if I'm comfortable?"

"No. I don't want you comfortable."

"Thanks," he groans as he leans his head back on the seat, a small chuckle from her lips being fed into his brain. They finally near his apartment, Stella slowing the Avalanche; the ground now covered with a light dusting of snow. "Still hate winter?" Mac wonders as she stops the truck and then turns back to look at him.

"Was thinking I might take a snow day tomorrow."

"Oh really?" Mac arches his brows. "Think your boss will approve?"

"If he wants out of those he will," she counters.

"That's blackmail Detective Bonasera."

"You bet your ass it is Detective Taylor," she replies and his face softens further.

Stella finally exists the warmth of the cabin, heading around to Mac and then gently helping him out of the back, her fingers firmly grasping his arm and lightly dragging him toward the entrance of his apartment. Already having his keys in her hands she lets them in and then leads him toward the elevator.

"You are a very cooperative prisoner Mac Taylor," Stella softly mentions as she turns and gently presses up against his hard frame, pushing him up against the side of the elevator. "I think you like this."

"I'm sure."

"And you?"

"Would like to hold you," Mac finally confesses and Stella looks at him in shock.

"What?" Stella asks in wonder.

"Very much," he whispers as he leans in closer, his lips planting a warm kiss on hers and then pulling back, gazing at her with a serious expression. They finally reach his floor and walk toward his door in silence, Mac's eyes still darting nervously around in case anyone happens upon them; asking questions or wondering why in his seemingly battered condition would he be cuffed and walking toward his apartment in her grasp.

Once inside Mac looks at Stella with a slight frown; his heart rate once again elevated and his mind wondering what she had planned to do now. But before he can utter another word, she pushes him up against the wall; her lips hungrily devouring his, her hands curiously exploring his taut skin underneath the slightly damp sweater.

"Stella..." Mac manages before her tongue gently pushes between the folds of his lips, silencing any forth coming moans with hungry desire; his body going harder as each second passes. But before he can fully betray himself to her she pulls back; his heart racing and face flushed.

"I need you," he lightly begs, his body already betraying itself to her.

"I know but...I should go."

"Stella? What? Why?" He asks in wonder, trying to swallow back his desire; praying it will subside if she actually is going to walk out the door and deny him anything further.

"Gotta admit Mac, you are pretty tempting like that," she whispers as she leans in once more. "Captive...trapped...at my bidding," she teases as her warm lips brush his ear, strengthening his desire once again.

"Stella," Mac groans as he slightly struggles against the cuffs holding him captive. "You can't...I need..."

"But you look like hell."

"I am strong enough to hold you and make love to you," Mac states in truth, his eyes begging her to reconsider; his mind praying she'll just take him right now.

"Mac?" She asks in shock.

"I want to make love to you."

"Cuffed?" She arches a playful brow. "Right now?"

"I think you know I am already turned on," he slightly blushes as her fingers linger on his strong arm. "Please?"

Her lips near his once more, crushing them before he has a chance to say another word; drowning out anything further and then pulling back; leaving them both breathless once again.

"I'm dying here," he mentions in misery. But much to his surprise, Stella gently turns him around, pulls out the handcuff key and finally allows her handsome captive to go free. "Stella?" He asks as he regrettably starts to rub his wrists.

"I should go," Stella mentions, her back still to him.

"But...Stella wait," Mac states as his fingers wrap around her arm and turn her back to face him. "You don't have to go."

"You nee..."

"I want you to stay," he confesses as he pulls her back agaisst his rapidly beating heart; his turn to force his lips to crush hers; another showdown of passion and love.

"You need a shower and a good nights sleep Mac. With me here...you like this...you'll get neither," Stella pulls back a little breathlessly.

"And that's a bad thing?" He queries with a warm smile.

"I'm going to go," she insists as she plants a warm kiss on his cheek. "I doubt you'll take the day to rest tomorrow so I'll see you at work."

"Stella..."

"Please Mac, just go have a shower. You smell like Felix Reite."

"And that isn't a turn on, is it?" He finally gets why she was so hesitate to continue; the smell of death was a painful reminder of all the bodies that looked like him; her mind probably seeing his lifeless corpse begging for help before he was finished for good. As much as he hated to acknowledge the truth, he couldn't blame her in the least.

"No it's not," she admits in truth.

"Want to wait?"

"You need to sleep," she insists; her mind hoping that he'll take the hint so she'll be able to carry out one last surprise.

"Will you have dinner with me tomorrow?" Mac asks as he walks her to the door; his mind already rehearsing the confession of love that he will offer to her in private; in a more romantic setting. Just not able to say _I love you _without the timing being right.

"Just dinner?" Stella arches a curious brow and Mac's face warms instantly.

"Maybe more," he smiles. He wraps an arm around her waist; his lips hovering around her ear; his warm breath sending small shiver bumps down his spine. "I want you to stay. Don't you want to stay?"

"I want you to sleep. But I will see you tomorrow," Stella replies as her head twists around and tastes his lips once more. But as her brain finally registers the faint taste of blood and dirt, she knows he needs his shower more than she thinks; wanting to rid both of them of the near cause of death; any reminders of a monster that nearly ended both their lives.

Mac regrettably allows Stella to leave; walking her back toward the elevator and then lingering, making small talk about the day tomorrow until the doors take her away; close her from view and leaving him to curse his miserable silence once more.

"Damn it! I should have offered her a drink...coffee," he scolds himself as he heads back to his apartment; closing the door and then heading for the bathroom, wanting to get his shower over and done with so will be available when she calls. And even though she's only been gone a few minutes; the silence is already starting to suffocate him.

"I miss her," he mumbles to himself as he finally sheds all reminders of Felix Reite, grabs his robe and heads into the bathroom; quickly turning on the hot water and allowing the steam to fill the small space, helping to soothe his nerves. He glances at himself in the mirror and frowns; aside from his re-stitched and wrapped bicep; the rest of his body survived Stella's sexy capture and knows his body could handle her weight pressing down.

"That'll never happen now," he groans as he finally pushes himself under the hot water, allowing a small gasp of pain to escape his lips as the water starts to dance with the fresh cuts and scrapes; fresh reminders of how short and precious life really is.

However, his mind is so lost in thought that he doesn't hear the front door slowly opening and then closing again; the deadbolt being locked and soft footsteps heading his way; clothes being shed with each step taken; her grin almost ear to ear.

"Stella..." she hears her name as she's just about to push the door to the bathroom open; an automatic look of hungrer adorning her face.

"Mac," she whispers as pushes the door open and then closes it, slowly opening the glass door and mentioning his name; forcing him to turn around in haste.

"Stella!" Mac gasps as he turns and stops in place; his eyes hungrily devouring every inch of her perfect naked body. "I uh...I didn't...um what..."

"Are you distracted Detective Taylor?" She asks with an amused grin.

"Yes. Can you blame me?"

"Not at all," she replies as she stands before him; allowing him to gently wrap an arm around her naked waist; pulling her up against his naked frame, allowing him to hold her body under the warm streams of water. "I am just as distracted."

"I'm glad you came back."

"Just thought that since we are spending the day off together tomorrow," she whispers as she leans in closer, her lips inches from his. "Thought it would be nice to start the day off with breakfast and then end with..."

"Dinner?" Mac arches is brows in wonder, his body once again ready in anticipation.

"A late night snack. That being you," she mumbles as her fingers wrap around his head, his fingers already trapped in wet, golden curls; pulling her close and silencing her soft moans of delight with his hungry mouth. "I still owe you for leaving me cuffed to that damn poll."

"Want to even the odds later?" Mac asks as his eyes display a playful mischief for her viewing pleasure.

"Absolutely."

"Thank you for saving my life today Stella," Mac whispers wit ha more serious expression; his arms capturing her once again; pulling her close, never wanting to let go; their new union seconds away from starting.

"I saved my future today Mac," Stella whispers in return as she looks at him with a loving gaze; her arms holding him tightly and her brain pondering not just the day off tomorrow but the future that lay ahead for both of them.

**THE END!**

* * *

**A/N:** Well that's its folks! Hope you liked this Smexy/Sappy ending and this adventure in general! Wasn't sure how long to make this one but hope you all were satisfied with this.

Lots more SMACKED stuff in the works so hope you'll stick around, review and keep the muse going. YOU ALL ROCK!!! Thanks so much and please leave a final thought before you exit.


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